The Gunnedah skipper opened the batting for Old Boys and smashed 115 from 91 balls as his side scored 7-269 after being sent in on a slow Chaffey Park wicket.

A couple of big partnerships were the other highlights of the dig with Middlebrook and Heath Falkenmire putting on 77 for the third wicket while Grant Sippel and Anthony Allwell added 55 for the sixth.

Captain Simon Norvill made 21 at number three, Falkenmire finished with 30, Sippel was second top scorer with 45 and Allwell made 17.

“We’re very happy with that,” Norvill said.

“It was set up by Ben.

“He’s come back well this year and is starting to time the ball better.

“The more time he spends out there the quicker he can score runs.

“Grant Sippel batted really well at the end with a quick-fire 45 that really helped bump the score up over 250, which I was extremely happy with.”

Norvill was surprised when Bective skipper Adam Jones asked him to bat.

“It was always going to be slow early after all the rain but if you were patient and got yourself in there, there were big runs to be had, which is what Ben did,” Norvill said.

But Jones said his decision only looks bad because a crucial decision went against his side.

“I stand by my decision,” Jones said.

“We had Ben Middlebrook caught behind on about 20.

“If that had been a right decision it would have been completely different.

“Instead of 2-150 they would have been 2-20 and it’s a different game.

“So I stand by the decision.

“And credit to Ben, he hit the ball hard and took his chances and batted well.

“There was a bit in it early and Nick Hird bowled exceptionally well and moved the ball around a lot early.”

Luke Powell was the only multiple wicket taker with 2-44 while Hird’s 1-31 from nine was probably the pick in an otherwise tough innings.