Northamptonshire were promoted to County Championship Division One yesterday after closest challengers Essex failed to claim enough bonus points in their match against Hampshire.

An Essex win at the Rose Bowl with maximum bonus points, coupled with a Northants loss, would have seen the teams level on points and Essex promoted by virtue of winning more games.

But when Monty Panesar was caught by Jimmy Adams off the bowling of Matt Coles to dismiss the visitors for 207 in their first innings, that became an impossibility and Northants’s ascension was secured.

Hampshire looked well on course to claim victory in the match anyway as they made Essex follow on after amassing a 249-run first-innings lead, with Adam Wheater scoring 122 in their total of 456.

Tom Westley top-scored for the visitors with 40 as Coles recorded figures of six for 71.