Northamptonshire face pitch inspection at Wantage Road

Northamptonshire's joy at winning promotion from Division Two of the County Championship could prove short-lived as they face a possible points deduction over the condition of the Wantage Road pitch.

The England and Wales Cricket Board's pitch liaison officer, Phil Sharpe, has expressed his concern at the state of the strip which provided some turn for the spinners. Northants chief executive Steve Coverdale confirmed that a pitch panel will meet at Northampton tomorrow morning.

Northamptonshire secured promotion into the first division for next season as they dismissed Essex for 233 on a rain-shortened day.

Matthew Hayden's men went into the match needing two bonus points to be certain of going up, and they achieved their target shortly after tea when their bowler of the year, off-spinner Jason Brown, had Australian Stuart Law caught behind for 59.

Brown finished with 4-34 - giving him 61 first-class wickets so far this summer - and Northants replied with 25 for no wicket from 11 overs at the close.

Steady drizzle delayed the start until 12 noon, docking 24 overs from the day's allocation, and the visitors made a strong start with openers Paul Prichard and Paul Grayson posting 50 in 11 overs before lunch against some indifferent new-ball bowling.

But Northants broke through in the second over of the afternoon when Prichard (31) was caught in the gully off the former Essex paceman Darren Cousins, and they slipped to 94 for three until Law and Ronnie Irani (27) shared a fourth-wicket stand worth 78 in 24 overs.

Irani's departure, run out by Cousins' throw attempting a single to backward square leg, triggered the collapse which saw Essex lose their last seven wickets for 61 inside 19 overs.

The closing stages were enlivened by last pair James Foster and Peter Such who added 27, with Such hoisting Graeme Swann over midwicket for six before Brown shattered his stumps.