Tuesday 13 September 2016 19:42, UK
Essex have won promotion from Division Two of the Specsavers County Championship by securing a second batting bonus point on day two of their game with Glamorgan at Chelmsford.
Captain Ryan ten Doeschate scored an unbeaten 109 to lead his team back into the top flight as Essex reached 275-6, still trailing though by 11 runs.
Essex had earned five bonus points after bowling Glamorgan out for 286 earlier in the day, and then after stumbling to 85-5 - Craig Meschede taking 3-60 - Ten Doeschate combined with Adam Wheater (59) in a century stand, before James Foster (33no) joined him to see Essex add that all important title-winning point.
Essex are the only team to go up, due to a new-look 10-team Division One from next summer.
Third-placed Sussex, who had been hoping to capitalise on any potential Essex slip-up, still have a chance to beat Worcestershire at Hove despite promotion no longer being a possibility.
Sussex require 259 further runs to win with nine wickets in hand, though the wicket of Chris Nash (5) to the final ball of the day dampened what had been a brilliant fightback on day two.
From being 71-7 in their first innings - in response to Worcestershire's 306 - Sussex posted 229, with Chris Jordan (57no) and Jofra Archer (46) providing a lower-order spark in reply to Miguel Cummins' 7-84.
Steve Magoffin (5-32) then took his second five-for of the match to bowl Worcestershire out for 194 - Tom Fell top-scoring with 85 - before Sussex lost Nash late on.
Gloucestershire paceman David Payne took four wickets and scored just his fourth first-class half-century but it was hosts Northamptonshire who ended the second day on top at Wantage Road.
Payne took four wickets in the first three overs of the day as Northamptonshire were bowled out for 326, adding only four runs to their overnight score.
In reply, Gloucestershire mustered only 261, though, with Payne top-scoring with 56, as Rob Keogh took 4-67 for the hosts.
Northants openers Ben Duckett (31no) and Rob Newton (11no) then put on an unbroken 44-run stand to help increase the home side's lead to 109 by the close.
Mark Cosgrove defied the pain of a damaged hand to hit an unbeaten 81 for Leicestershire but a late burst from Will Davis gave Derbyshire the edge on day two.
Davis (4-60) snared the wickets of Clint McKay (21), Mark Pettini (44) and Rob Sayer (0) in the space of two overs to reduce Leicestershire to 228-8 - still trailing by 79 runs - before bad light ended play early.
Leicestershire skipper Cosgrove retired hurt on 77 after taking a number of blows to his left hand but came back to the crease to battle on and was not out at the close.
