A magnificent spell of pace bowling from David Lucas pushed Northamptonshire into pole position to gain promotion in the LV= County Championship.

The left-arm seamer returned figures of 7-45 - the second best return of his lengthy career - as Leicestershire were routed by an innings and 196 runs at Wantage Road. Northants added a maximum 22 points to their season’s total.

After wrapping up victory with four sessions to spare over their East Midlands rivals, Northants now face an anxious wait to see if they have done enough for promotion with Essex needing 19 points at Derbyshire to deny them a place in Division One for the first time since 2004.

A brisk 72 from James Benning held up the hosts early on, but with victory in sight Northants tore into their struggling opponents on the third morning.

Lucas found substantial swing, while new-ball partner Johan van der Wath produced hostile pace.

Lucas immediately removed the experienced Paul Nixon, who edged an attempted drive, to give a low catch to keeper Niall O’Brien.

Greg Smith followed in Lucas’ next over, lbw on the crease to a ball that swung sharply into him, departing for just nine.

The former Nottinghamshire and Yorkshire bowler further improved his figures when keeper Tom New was comprehensively bowled for a duck by another swinging, full-length delivery.

This gave 31-year-old Lucas his third five-wicket haul of a prolific campaign, and the seventh of an up-and-down career that has included spells out of the professional game.

Leicestershire had lost half their side for a paltry 44 when van der Wath yorked England under-19 batsman Josh Cobb for one.

Johan van der Wath sends another delivery past a Leicestershire batsman. He bowled Harry Gurney to seal Northants' victory

When former Surrey all-rounder Benning joined James Taylor, the home side encountered their first real resistance since lunchtime on day two.

Benning greeted van der Wath’s second spell with four powerful off-side boundaries in a single over, as he raced to his first half-century for his new county, from only 49 balls.

Benning took three fours off Lee Daggett’s opening over of the day, before his cavalier knock came to a disappointingly tame end, when he chipped Nicky Boje to Lucas at deep mid off with the score at 131.

With Taylor in the anchor role, the sixth-wicket pair had added 86 in 18 overs. Benning’s 72-run share came from only 64 balls including 13 powerfully-struck boundaries.

Claude Henderson kept Taylor company to lunch, which was taken at 144 for seven. The South African hit nine firmly struck fours in a useful knock, before he was yorked on 42 by the returning Lucas with the total at 183.

Lucas matched his seven-wicket haul at Cheltenham in July, when Wayne White edged to Riki Wessels at second slip without troubling the scorers. It was his 60th championship wicket of a brilliant campaign.

When Harry Gurney became van der Wath’s 50th first-class wicket of the season, it earned Northants their sixth win of the campaign, and put them on course for promotion, barring a successful last-day run chase by Essex at Derby.