WORCESTERSHIRE were on the receiving end of a family affair when Middlesex's Robin Weston cracked a fine century on the weather-hit opening day of the County Championship Division Two match at New Road.

Weston, younger brother of the County's opening batsman Philip, made 106 to help lift his promotion-seeking side to 258-6 off 72 overs when bad light stopped play early last night.

Rain prevented play starting on time this morning.

It was the third Championship ton of the season for the 26-year-old who finally fell to a splendid one-handed catch by Graeme Hick off his own bowling.

Skipper Hick finished with 3-33, his best first-class return of the season.

He tuned up by having opener Andrew Strauss expertly caught low down by Philip Weston at deep cover.

By then Strauss, who stroked an eye-catching 92 containing 17 fours off 107 balls, had put on an impressive 143 in 32 overs with fellow opener Weston.

It was a damaging partnership for Worcestershire, who bounced back well with a quick-fire burst of wickets.

The over after Strauss' departure, Alamgir Sheriyar had Owais Shah trapped leg before for a 'duck' while Stephen Fleming also fell to the County's left-arm seamer for a single.

Worcestershire's fortunes brightened further when Ed Joyce was snapped up at square leg by Matthew Rawnsley off young paceman Chris Liptrot.

It reduced Middlesex to 158-4, a tally which was improved considerably by Weston and Paul Weekes who put on 95 in 30 overs despite being frustrated by a couple of breaks for rain.

By the time Weston was removed he had 18 fours off 176 balls to his credit.

Before the premature close Hick collected his third scalp when he bowled ex-Malvern College pupil David Nash for a single.

Worcestershire's Kadeer Ali has been included in the England U19 squad for the youth World Cup in New Zealand in January.

Kadeer has had a shaky start to his first-class career, reaching double figures only once in 13 first-class innings, but he has made a stack of runs for the Second XI.