Middlesex returned to the top of the Pro40 Division Two table by a point and extended their outside hopes of taking the title after beating Northamptonshire by 78 runs with 22 balls to spare in their final game of the campaign.

A one-sided clash against a weakened Steelbacks side was played out on a tinder-dry pitch at Uxbridge that helped spin bowlers from both sides, yet it was a golden-armed spell of seam-bowling from Gareth Berg that eased Middlesex to their emphatic win.

Chasing a seemingly modest Panthers total of 220 for eight, Northamptonshire made a dismal start when Ben Howgego (seven) edged an attempted cut to slip off Steven Finn.

Having made six changes to their side, three of them through injury and the others with one eye on next Wednesday's crucial LV County Championship promotion decider against Leicestershire, Northamptonshire sent in Rob Newton at number three on his county debut.

With the pressure already building, the teenage right-hander had made only nine when he nicked a Tim Murtagh leg-cutter to wicketkeeper John Simpson.

Things worsened for the visitors when Panthers skipper Shaun Udal threw the ball to Berg, who caught the eye with a stint of three for 13 in 17 balls from the Pavilion End.

Paul Harrison (26) mistimed a flick of the legs to be caught on the run by Neil Dexter at mid-wicket and Riki Wessels (26) was cleaned up by a leg-cutter that clipped off-stump.

Left-hander Nicky Boje was next out cutting too close to his body and picking out Nick Compton at point for just three.

With the Steelbacks top-order back in the pavilion within 17 overs,

Udal duly turned to spin at both ends with his own off-breaks and the left-arm spin of Murali Kartik.

In tandem, the experienced pair strangled the Steelbacks run-rate and the game was as good as over once top-scorer Rob White (38) fell leg before to Kartik and David Willey (19) clipped Udal into the hands of mid-wicket three balls later.

After electing to bat first title-chasing Panthers made a decent enough start but the introduction of spinners Boje and Graeme White set the tone for the day and proved Middlesex's undoing.

Having reached 136 for two at the mid-point of their innings, Middlesex fell away dramatically scoring only three boundaries from their last 18 overs.

After the unfortunate early loss of Compton, caught behind off a leg-side flick, Panthers rebuilt with a 68-run second wicket stand between Dawid Malan (29) and big-hitting Tyron Henderson, who scored the only 50 of game.

Malan twice showed his strength by powering balls on the up through extra cover as the pair reached their 50 stand in seven overs with a straight six into the sightscreen by Henderson.

Malan's edged Lee Daggett behind to make it 83 for two and Henderson should have gone with his score on 19 when his miscued drive to mid-on where Boje spilled the

chance.

Boje was made to pay for the drop as Henderson raced to a 36-ball 50, with four fours and two sixes, the second of which flew over long-on for six.

Neil Dexter's cameo 26 ended when he holed out to long-off then, in

the next over, Henderson toe-ended a slog sweep down the throat of David Wigley at deep square-leg.

Backed up by some excellent fielding and catching by stand-in keeper Wessels and Wigley, Steelbacks stemmed the flow of boundaries thereafter as only John Simpson (32) made a notable score in the closing overs.