BERKSHIRE Over 60s rounded off the first half of their National Championships South Group campaign with an emphatic nine-wicket win at home to Middlesex, writes Richard Ashton.

Captain Dave Tooze won the toss and asked the visitors to bat at Waltham St Lawrence on Tuesday of last week, but that decision looked to be the wrong one as Terry Braithwaite (32) and Richard Gunn put on 68 for the opening wicket at a good pace.

Their stand was ended when Richard West had Braithwaite caught by Phil Ridgeway, and the fielder then caught and bowled Keith Alexander to make it 84-2.

Gunn (37) became West’s (2-23 off nine overs) second victim two runs later, and when Simon Battersby was adjudged lbw to Ridgeway, Middlesex had fallen to 107-4.

Visiting captain John Haskell was the next man to go, trapped in front by Jerry Smith with the score on 124, and any hopes Middlesex had of posting a competitive score were torpedoed by a brilliant spell of death bowling.

He took four wickets late on as the visitors fell from 148-5 to 167-9 in their 45 overs, Harvey closing with figures of 4-34 from his eight overs.

The Berkshire reply was ruthless from ball one, with Dave Tooze and Richard West both in tremendous form.

Tooze hammered 73 from just 61 balls before he became the only wicket to fall, caught by RoyMarett off the bowling of Nutan Shah when the score was on 138.

That was to be Middlesex’s only success, however, with West finishing on an excellent 77 not out from 72 balls, and Ronnie Brock offering useful support with a more sedate unbeaten 13.

Berkshire are fourth in the six-team group, having won two games and lost three.