Middlesex earn promotion

Steven Finn set up victory for Middlesex with three wickets

Three wickets apiece for Steven Finn and Chris Wright saw Middlesex register a six-wicket victory over Northamptonshire which earns them promotion to Division One of the NatWest Pro40.

It was a superb effort from the Crusaders’ bowling attack as they dismissed the Steelbacks for just 148 in only 35.3 overs, before Ed Joyce (42) and Eoin Morgan (34), steered the Crusaders to victory with 22 balls to spare.

Opener Joyce saw his captain Ed Smith fall in the sixth over for four, caught at gully with the score on 21.

Joyce, together with Andrew Strauss pushed the score along to 60 before Strauss (15) played across the line and was trapped leg before wicket.

A further eight runs were added, when Joyce clipped David Wigley to leg gully.

Then Morgan and Jamie Dalrymple shared a stand of 46 in 16 overs before Dalrymple became the fourth man out, trapped lbw for 23, offering no stroke.

Earlier, having won the toss and decided to bowl, Middlesex soon had their visitors in trouble.

70 from David Sales was not enough for Northants to stay in Division One © Getty Images

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Opener Rob White fell to the fifth ball of the innings for a duck - looking to drive, the right-hander was beaten by an outswinger to give Ben Scott a smart catch behind the stumps.

A stand of 34 between Andrew Crook and Nicky Boje was broken in the 10th over, when Finn snapped up the wicket of Boje (16) thanks to a brilliant one-handed catch from Strauss fielding in the gully.

Crook, having scored 17, then became the third wicket to fall with the score on 45, surprised by the extra bounce from Finn to give Scott another catch.

Another 14 runs were added before the Steelbacks suffered the blow of losing three wickets in six balls without a run being added.

First to go was Riki Wessels, caught off a leading edge for one and he was soon followed by the prized wicket of Lance Klusener who went first ball slicing to backward point.

Three balls later Niall O’Brien edged to the wicket-keeper off an attempted drive without scoring, giving Wright his second wicket in his second over.

Dalrymple then bowled David Lucas for four to reduce the Steelbacks to 77 for seven.

Sales and Graeme White pushed the score past 100 before White edged to slip.

Sales went to his half-century soon after from 51 balls and David Wigley struck a couple of mighty blows before he holed out to short midwicket.

The innings was wrapped up in the 36th over when Sales was caught on the deep square boundary for 70 from 65 balls with seven fours and two sixes.