Hayden and Sales guide Northants to 8 wicket win over Leicestershire Foxes

Northamptonshire Steelbacks kept themselves in touch with the National League Division One frontrunners as Matthew Hayden and David Sales guided them to an eight-wicket victory over Leicestershire Foxes in a rain-affected contest at Wantage Road.

The third-wicket pair came to the rescue with Northants in trouble at 21-2 replying to the Foxes' total of 220-7, and had carried the score to 103-2 from 25 overs when the weather intervened.

Play was delayed for 65 minutes, and when the players made their way back on to the field the Steelbacks were left to make a further 19 in three overs to notch their third successive win.

Hayden and Sales - who finished unbeaten on 69 and 43 respectively - made short work of the task, skipper Hayden settling the issue when he swept Amer Khan to the boundary with five balls remaining.

Leicestershire's batting honours belonged to opener Trevor Ward who stroked 61 from 79 deliveries including a six and six fours. He put on 82 in 15 overs with Aftab Habib (28) to make up for the early loss of Vince Wells.

Ben Smith (34) and Darren Stevens (30 not out) also contributed usefully, and the Foxes were on top when Northants lost Jeff Cook and Mal Loye in the first seven overs of their reply.

But the in-form Hayden, who faced 67 balls and struck 11 boundaries in his decisive knock, saw his side through to a win which leaves them just four points behind top-of-the-table Worcestershire Royals.