Essex were comprehensively beaten by an innings and 81 runs by a Northamptonshire side who completed only their second Championship success of the season.

Chasing 224 in order to avoid an innings defeat, Essex lost three quick wickets which was later followed by another dramatic collapse to present the home side with victory inside three days.

Left-arm spinner Michael Davies was the man who wreaked the damage taking 4-23 in the innings and 9-84 in the match as Essex struggled with a lack of technique.

Paul Grayson, on four, was the first to go when he was dismissed for the second time in the day offering no stroke. Then, with the score at 15, both Paul Prichard and Darren Robinson joined him back in the pavilion.

Prichard (11) edged a Kevin Innes' delivery to second slip and the hapless Robinson was still to get off the mark when he offered no shot to a Paul Taylor deliver and was judged lbw.

Much rested on Stuart Law's shoulders, but he was unable to match his first innings century, playing sketchily in the second. He scored only 11 when he edged an away swinger to the wicketkeeper leaving Essex struggling at 36-4.

Ronnie Irani and Stephen Peters played with some composure and put on 30 runs in 18 overs in untroubled fashion. Peters tried to sweep a ball from Michael Davies and was bowled for 14 after a 67-minute stay at the crease.

He was taken with the score on 67-5, but another wicket fell to the first ball after tea when Barry Hyam lost his middle stump to a Graeme Swann delivery.

Two overs later and without addition to the score two more wickets fell. Irani had made 27 playing purposefully when he was brilliantly held at second slip by Innes to end a vigilant innings.

Rickie Anderson was out to his first ball, but Ashley Cowan saw the total past three figures with a composed 28 until he was caught by the wicketkeeper.

Peter Such and David Thompson batted for almost an hour for a partnership of 37 before Thompson (22) was caught off Swann, leaving Such unbeaten on 22 with Essex on a paltry 143 all out.

They started the day on 258-3 in the first innings still needing 171 runs to avoid the follow on but capitulated quickly losing the remaining seven wickets for 97 runs before lunch.

Despite this defeat, the eight points Essex take from the match lift them into fourth place in the table, with a number of their closest rivals not playing in current round of matches.

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