Northants completed a comprehensive eight-wicket win over Leicestershire inside three days at Wantage Road.

Resuming on 8-1 after following on late on Wednesday, the Leicestershire batsmen fared little better second time round as they were dismissed for 226.

David Lucas took 3-45 but skipper Paul Nixon (73) and Tom Smith (31) put on 66 for the eighth wicket to at least ensure Northants had to bat again.

They lost two early wickets but still easily reached their target of 27.

Leicestershire were put under immediate pressure, but Tom New and Matt Boyce managed to take the score to 44-1 before the collapse came.

New fell to Nicky Bjoe, caught at silly point by Riki Wessels for 11, before Jacques du Toit was caught by Northants' century-maker David Sales off David Wigley for only two.

Andrew Hall came on for Northants and he immediately got rid of Boyce for 31, caught behind by Niall O'Brien.

And when HD Ackerman was caught by Hall of Boje for six, Leics were 64-5 and reeling.

Northants had victory in sight when Boeta Dippenaar gloved Johan van der Wath behind for 15, which brought Nixon to the crease.

He smashed Van der Wath for three successive fours before Jim Allenby was trapped lbw by Lucas, but Smith came in and gave Nixon fine support in their stand.

Nixon brought up his half-century and scored 10 fours but Smith went lbw to Hall, Van der Wath had Claude Henderson caught and then Nixon top-edged Lucas to Wigley.

Northants needed 27 to win and though O'Brien fell to Smith and Nadeem Malik dimissed Stephen Peters, Sales (14 not out) and Rob White (12 not out) steered them to victory.