Lucas haul boosts Northants

David Lucas took five wickets to put Northamptonshire firmly in the driving seat on day two of their LV County Championship game with Leicestershire.

Lucas claimed four first-innings wickets as the visitors were bowled out for 173 and then removed Nadeem Malik after captain Nicky Boje enforced the follow-on.

Northants resumed on 274 for four, with David Sales and Lance Klusener beginning day two as they finished day one - attacking the Leicestershire bowlers to take the hosts past 300.

Klusener bought up his half-century thanks to five overthrows before Dillon du Preez trapped him lbw for 65.

Sales carried on finding the boundary as he reached 151 from 322 balls before he was bowled by Jim Allenby, bringing an end to his 378-minute knock.

Boje’s stay at the crease was much briefer, the South African falling lbw to Tom Smith for seven.

Andrew Hall was then run out for six before Lucas was caught by Paul Nixon for one off the bowling of Smith.

David Lucas picked up five wickets in the first innings

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Leicestershire wrapped up the Northants innings for 373 when HD Ackerman caught Johan van der Wath (four) off the bowling of Allenby with David Wigley not out on 10.

Leicestershire lost their first wicket when Boje took a brilliant catch at gully to remove Matt Boyce for a duck off the bowling of van der Wath.

The visitors slipped to 15 for two, as Tom New played a Lucas delivery to Stephen Peters at third slip when on seven.

It got even worse for Leicestershire when they lost Ackerman for nine, the South African edging Hall to O’Brien.

Jacques du Toit made 29 before Lucas had him caught by O’Brien.

Hall had the ball swinging nicely, removing Boeta Dippenaar for nine, caught behind by the busy O’Brien as Leicestershire crashed to 65 for five.

Van der Wath picked up his second wicket of the innings just before tea as Nixon mistimed a shot to White at gully when on nine.

O’Brien then claimed his fourth catch of the innings after tea as he teamed up with Lucas to remove Smith for four.

Claude Henderson became Lucas’ fourth victim when he was adjudged lbw for 10.

Du Preez failed to score as he was caught by Sales at second slip to give Hall his third wicket.

Malik and Allenby offered some resistance, putting on 50 for the last wicket, before Allenby edged van der Wath to Sales at second slip for 47.

Malik finished unbeaten on 27 as Leicestershire were all out for 173, trailing Northants by exactly 200.

Leicestershire sent Malik out as the nightwatchman as they began the follow-on but he was bowled by Lucas for one as they closed on eight for one.