Wheal's early promise on unexpected debut

Middlesex102 for 3 trail < B>Hampshire 413 (Smith 93, Carberry 67, Adams 61, Berg 50, Dexter 5-64) by 311 runs
Scorecard

Young debutants making dream starts and former team-mates turning it on in their first outing against old employers: it doesn't happen all the time, of course, but once too often now - from Middlesex's point of view - during another chastening day for the Championship leaders.

Brad Wheal, an 18-year-old pace bowler from Durban with a British passport, was expected to spend this summer playing for Havant in the Southern Premier League. To date, though, he has appeared only once for the club side - and may not now become a regular after making a promising start for Hampshire.

The youngster, with a couple of second XI appearances behind him, was given the new ball here ahead of former West Indies Test bowler Fidel Edwards and responded by ripping his 18th delivery in first-class cricket past the hesitant, half forward defence of Sam Robson.

It looked a fine ball, sent down at good pace on a still helpful pitch, and too good at least for Robson who, this time last year, was preparing to make his England debut.

Wearing eye-catching orange-heeled boots, Wheal certainly looked the part during a five-over opening spell. And while he was limited to just that one success, the relatively slightly built sub six-footer posed enough problems to suggest Hampshire had made a good call in an attempt to pep up their attack.

Last season's Division Two title-winners have found life predictably difficult during the early stages of this season. But having taken the first day honours in this match, after being put in, they made the visitors suffer even more on the second with another newish recruit also enjoying himself.

Gareth Berg spent seven years at Middlesex but played only one game for them last season because of a persistent shoulder injury. It was no real surprise, then, when the county released him last winter - and no great shock, either, to see the allrounder rubbing some salt in his old mates' wounds.

The horse had already pricked up its ears with Hampshire reaching 295 for 5 by last night. But it bolted out of view once morning rain cleared to allow an early afternoon start with the admirable Will Smith and the eager to impress Berg putting together a stand of 91 for the seventh wicket.

Berg would have enjoyed carving Steven Finn over the slips for four. But his 74-ball sprint to a half-century really gathered momentum when spinner Ollie Rayner was plundered for 14 runs in an over with an on-driven six the pick of three crisp strokes.

Neil Dexter, another allrounder, eventually cut short Berg's fun and then, five deliveries later, produced an even sharper short ball to deny Smith the century his efforts across nearly four hours deserved.

By removing last man James Tomlinson, Dexter bagged only the third five-for of his career and took his tally to nine wickets in the last two innings. Middlesex, though, would have expected the likes of Finn, Toby Roland-Jones and James Harris to be doing the damage on a pitch whose grassy look persuaded them to bowl first.

Berg's outing against his old mates could have been better still with Michael Carberry managing to reach but not grasp a running, diving chance in the gully region when Joe Burns was surprised by a lifter. By then, Edwards had removed Nick Gubbins lbw with what looked like a loosener - and the visitors' day ended on another downer when Burns attempted to hook Sean Ervine deep into the final over and feathered a catch behind.