COUNTY CHAMPIONSHIP DIVISION TWO, Northampton:
Gloucestershire 302 & 76-3 beat Northants 124 & 252 by seven wickets
Glos 22pts, Northants 3pts
Match scorecard

James Middlebrook faced 163 balls for his 81, hitting 10 fours and a six

Gloucestershire wrapped up a seven-wicket win over Northants at Wantage Road to climb to third in Division Two of the County Championship.

Resuming on 128-7, Northants initially resisted through James Middlebrook (81) and David Murphy (55).

But when their eighth-wicket stand of 141 was ended, the hosts quickly subsided to 252 all out.

Gloucestershire then reached the 75 they needed for the loss of three wickets, for victory inside three days.

The home side began 50 runs behind but Middlebrook and Murphy batted through the first session to set a record eighth-wicket partnership for Northants against Gloucestershire, passing the 96 made by Roy Virgin and Sarfraz Nawaz on the same ground in 1977.

Jon Lewis (3-45) made the breakthrough in the fourth over of the afternoon session, pinning Middlebrook lbw, with Jack Brooks and Murphy both falling soon after.

Gloucestershire openers Will Porterfield and Jon Batty were both removed by Jack Brooks and Alex Gidman lost his middle stump to Elton Chigumbura before rain forced an early tea.

But Chris Dent and Steve Snell took the visitors over the line and above Northants in the table.

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