HAMISH MARSHALL guided Gloucestershire to the top of the Pro40 League with a match-winning century against Middlesex under the Bristol floodlights.

The visitors could post only 183-9 after winning the toss, despite a fighting 82 from Irishman Eoin Morgan. Steve Kirby bowled with hostility to claim 4-27, well supported by new ball partner Jon Lewis (2-25).

Despite the early loss of Kadeer Ali, Gloucestershire looked comfortable with their run-chase as Marshall and Mark Hardinges added 64 in 14 overs, cleverly picking the singles and taking few risks.

But there were to be some nerve-racking twists for home supporters in a good-sized crowd before the winning runs were hit with eight balls and three wickets to spare.

Steady drizzle meant the Middlesex bowlers had to contend with a wet ball. It was changed with the Gladiators cruising at 74-1 in the 15th over and so, for a while, was the course of the match.

The following over saw Marshall, on 46, dropped at mid-off by Steve Finn off the bowling of Shaun Udal. It proved a key moment, but didn't stop Gloucestershire pressing the self-destruct button.

The experienced Udal bowled Hardinges for 24 with the batsman playing neither forward nor back. Then Craig Spearman inexplicably tried a reverse sweep off the same bowler and toe-ended a catch to Gareth Berg at point.

Chris Taylor played an equally rash shot to be bowled swinging across a flighted delivery from Murali Kartik, and with Gloucestershire at 93-4 Middlesex were right back in the game.

The ball was changed again at 106-4, but David Brown greeted the latest one with a punch through the covers off Udal for four.

Marshall had reached his first Pro40 half-century of the season off 45 balls, with five fours. But when Brown was trapped lbw by a ball from Kartik which turned and flicked his back pad Gloucestershire had lost four wickets for 30 runs.

It was Kartik's last over and figures of 2-22 confirmed the left-arm spinner as a class act. Once he disappeared to the outfield the pressure eased, but when Steve Adshead was bowled by Finn it was 143-6 and 41 were still needed.

Newcomer Brendan Drew looked unlucky to be judged caught behind sweeping at Udal's final delivery to give him figures of 3-36.

Richard Dawson was dropped by keeper Ben Scott with 25 required, but then smacked Tim Murtagh for a straight six to ease the tension. When Marshall reached a magnificent hundred with a similar shot off Finn the outcome was finally decided.

Earlier Middlesex had plunged into trouble at 15-3, having elected to bat in heavily overcast conditions. After Ed Joyce had got the scoreboard moving with a single, Andrew Strauss was dismissed first ball by Lewis, edging to wicketkeeper Adshead.

Joyce and Scott fell victim to a fiery opening spell from Kirby before Drew was introduced into the attack. His first two overs went for 21 as Morgan and Dawid Malan counter-attacked.

The score was only 37-3 at the end of the 15-over fielding restrictions. But the fourth-wicket pair had added 50 in 11 overs and were accelerating when Malan was well caught by Kirby, diving forward at deep mid-wicket off Hardinges.

Morgan looked untroubled in reaching his half-century with a straight six off Brown. It had taken him 64 balls and also featured four fours. Berg helped add 58 before lofting Richard Dawson to Kadeer at long-on for 23.

Tyron Henderson followed without scoring, carelessly slog-sweeping Dawson to Drew at deep midwicket. But Udal contributed 14 before falling to Kirby and Morgan had progressed to 82 off 93 balls when he lost his leg stump to Lewis.

Kirby clean bowled Murtagh to collect his fourth wicket with the final ball of the innings. Hardinges, Dawson and Brown kept things tight, but Drew proved expensive, conceding 50 from his seven overs.