COUNTY CHAMPIONSHIP DIVISION TWO, Northampton:
Northants 600-8 dec beat Leicestershire 218 & 186 by an innings and 196 runs (Northants 22pts, Leics 3pts)

David Lucas took five of the wickets to fall on Friday

Northants are on the verge of promotion after crushing Leicestershire by an innings and 196 runs inside two and a half days at Wantage Road.

They will go back up to Division One unless Essex turn their game round and secure an unlikely win over Derbyshire.

Beginning the day on 30-2 in their second innings and needing another 352 to make Northants bat again, the visitors were bowled out for just 186.

David Lucas finished with 7-45 to ensure Leicestershire finish bottom.

Northants coach David Capel told BBC Radio Northampton that he was pleased with the outcome, as he awaited news from elsewhere.

"It was a very good victory," said Capel.

"It's pleasing and the lads have done extremely well.

"Nothing's done yet, it's out of our hands with what's happening at Derby and we'll be very interested to see what the result is there."

While Northants have the Champagne on ice, their East Midlands neighbours were condemned to the wooden spoon 11 years after being crowned county champions.

It is the first time since the introduction of two divisions in 2000 that Leicestershire have finished bottom, an unwanted feat they have not suffered in the County Championship since 1962.

But the day belonged to Northants, in particular, Lucas, who recorded the second-best figures of his career.

The left-armer began the day by having Paul Nixon caught behind and followed that up by trapping Greg Smith lbw.

Johannes van der Wath then got in on the act by bowling Josh Cobb before Lucas disturbed Tom New's timber to leave the visitors in dire trouble at 45-6.

But James Benning (72), who raced to a half-century in 49 balls, helped James Taylor (30no) stop the rot.

When Benning was caught by Lucas off the bowling of Nicky Boje, Claude Henderson (42) joined Taylor to delay the inevitable.

But the end drew near when he was bowled by Lucas, who completed his haul by having Wayne White caught by Riki Wessels.

And van der Wath bowled last man Harry Gurney to record his 50th first-class wicket of the season and seal an emphatic win.

Northants will now only be denied a place in Division One for the first time since 2004 if Essex can win at Derby.

But, with the visitors giving up a first-innings deficit of 118, it seems unlikely that they will earn the 19 points that will stop Boje's side from being promoted.

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