Sales puts wind behind Northamptonshire

David Sales made the first half-century of the match as Northamptonshire went into the final day against Hampshire in control. Andrew Hall took 4 for 24 as Hampshire were skittled before tea for 154, 64 runs behind, with James Vince top-scoring with an unbeaten 46.

Northants then extended their lead to 240 at the close, with Sales making 58. David Balcombe was the pick of the visitors' bowling, taking 2 for 63.

Hampshire began the day on 42 for 3 - after Thursday's play was abandoned without a ball bowled - with their stand-in captain and former Australia international Simon Katich on 4 and Liam Dawson on 14. Dawson was to move on to 35 before he missed his attempted drive off David Willey in the 11th over of the day and his leg stump was sent tumbling.

Hall brought himself on and took two wickets in three balls in the 33rd over. First Lee Daggett took a good low catch in front of him at short midwicket to dismiss Katich for 13 and then the same combination did for former Zimbabwe international Sean Ervine.

Hampshire wicketkeeper Michael Bates was next to depart, for a nine-ball duck, when he edged Daggett to Stephen Peters at third slip to leave to visitors floundering on 84 for 7. The eighth-wicket pair of Vince and Chris Wood added 58 between them either side of lunch before Wood was trapped lbw by Willey for 26.

Balcombe soon followed when his off stump was taken out by Jack Brooks before Willey bowled David Griffiths for a duck to end the Hampshire innings.

Rob Newton went cheaply for 14 in the eighth over of Northants' second innings when he edged Balcombe to Dawson at second slip. Peters then fell on 22 when he was pinned lbw by Ervine and Kyle Coetzer followed in the third over after tea for 25 when he was also taken by second slip off Balcombe.

Dawson took his sixth catch of the match when he snared Alex Wakely (15) off the bowling of Wood but Sales went on to complete his half-century off 90 balls. He eventually perished late in the day when he was caught leg-before to give Dawson his first wicket.