Cricket: 2011 County Championship Division 2, Round 8

Northamptonshire, Middlesex and Gloucestershire kept up their promotion push as they all won in the latest round of fixtures.

Northamptonshire are top with five wins and three draws after an innings and 155-run victory against bottom of the table Leicestershire.

Leicestershire batted first but could only post 168, with Wayne White hitting 54. Lee Daggett (4-35) and David Lucas (4-55).

The away side took a healthy lead into the second innings as they racked up 371-9 declared. Stephen Peters hit 96, Alex Wakely 62, Lucas a career-best 60 and Daggett (50 not out) a maiden first class fifty. Matthew Hoggard took 4-66 the home side.

Leicestershire were then blown out for just 48 in 25.1 overs on Day 3, their lowest county championship score for over 40 years, only Matthew Boyce (12) made double figures.

Jack Brooks took a first-class best of 5-23 while Lucas claimed 5-20, as Northamptonshire only used two bowlers.

Middesex have played a game less than Northamptonshire and are 43 points behind, despite a nine-wicket win against Kent at Lords.

Kent were dismissed for just 87, with Azhar Mahmood hitting 32 in an innings containing three golden ducks. Tim Murtagh claimed 5-27, Corey Collymore 3-24 and Steven Finn 2-28.

Middlesex collapsed from 76-1 to 153 all out, opener Sam Robson hitting 40. Mahmood claiming 6-36 to keep Kent in the game.

The away side slumped to 140-9 before Mahmood (50 not out) and Simon Cook (51) boosted them to 232. Murtagh took 4-83, Finn 3-53 and Collymore 2-45.

Needing 167 for victory, Middlesex lost just one wicket as Sam Robson's 94 not out guided them home and left Kent with only two wins from eight games.

Third-placed Gloucestershire beat Surrey by four wickets at Kennington Oval.

Surrey made 225 first time around as Zander de Bruyn hit 66. Ian Saxelby picking up 4-73.

Gloucestershire edged into a first innings lead with 261, Chris Taylor making 52 and Alex Gidman 43. de Bruyn took 3-39, Tim Linley 3-66 and Jade Dernbach 2-35.

Mark Ramprakash's 75 guided Surrey to 175 in their second innings but Saxelby again got the better of the batsmen with 6-69. 

Chasing 160 win, the away side wobbled to 54-5 before Alex Gidman's unbeaten 76 took them home to win by four wickets. Yasir Arafat's 3-49 and Linley's 3-58 proved in vain for fifth-placed Surrey.

The next round of fixtures sees Essex face Northamptonshire from June 25. Glamorgan host Derbyshire and Middlesex face Gloucestershire from June 27.