The opener smashed 140 during Saturday’s win over Finchley - his seventh score of fifty or more this season

Hampstead chairman Nick Brown has backed Mubasher Hassan to earn a shot at the pro game if he can continue his astonishing 2018 form.

The opener struck a superb 140 off only 76 balls during Saturday’s win over Finchley in the Middlesex County League Premier Division.

It was his highest ever score and yet his first hundred in the Middlesex League and after playing for MCC YC at the start of his career in 2011, Brown has backed him to get a chance at county level after scoring 681 runs at an average of 61.91 in 2018.

The Hampstead chairman said: “In truth, it is ridiculous a player with his talent has never scored a league hundred in Middlesex. He’s scored plenty of runs, but never a hundred.

“I guarantee it won’t be the last and as we move into the limited overs matches, where there are fielding restrictions, it wouldn’t surprise me if he does it again before the season is over.

“Everyone at the club is delighted for him. He combines a great training ethic with huge talent and whilst he’s had his ups and downs through his cricket career, he’s now in a great place, so who knows, maybe he will get another look at the professional game, he has the talent for sure.”

Hassan is on course for his best season in terms of runs and in rapid time with his previous record of 823 runs in 2015 from 27 innings.

The Hampstead all-rounder is currently closing in on 700 runs from only 13 knocks and has scored six fifties this year with five of them coming in the last eight innings.

He was in stunning form on Saturday as the Lymington Road club won by five wickets at home to Finchley.

After the visitors won the toss and batted first, they could only reach 282 with the bat before they were all out in the 63rd over.

Muhammad Ahmed (3-56), Will Roberts (3-36) and Scott Barlow (3-79) all claimed three wickets apiece and in reply it was the Hassan and George Adair show.

Adair hit 66 and put on 191 for the first wicket with fellow opener Hassan and number three Sam Evison finished on 32 not out to see Hampstead home.

They visit Twickenham this weekend, Brown added: “Saturday was a superb batting display and a very good effort with the ball.

“Whilst 282 wouldn’t seem to indicate a particularly good bowling effort, the wicket at Hampstead, week in, week out, is the best batting surface in the league, so keeping Finchley to 282 was a tremendous performance.

“Then it was the Mubasher Hassan show, he and George Adair are a really talented and dynamic opening pair, and I would not swap either of them for any Middlesex League players.

“Once again, they gave us a flying start, which Mubasher built on to score his first league hundred in the Middlesex League, in spectacular fashion.”