Northants promotion confirmed as club escapes pitch penalty

Northamptonshire will not be penalised for the state of their Wantage Road pitch during the ongoing County Championship match against Essex.

An England and Wales Cricket Board pitch panel comprising Phil Sharpe and Alan Smith looked at the surface after Essex were dismissed for 233 on Wednesday but they concluded that no points deduction was needed.

"Having seen the cricket on the second day we came to the conclusion that this was not a substandard pitch and did not warrant a rating of 'poor'," said Sharpe.

It means that Northants are now sure of promotion into the championship's First Division, with just one round of matches left this season.