Northamptonshire beat Middlesex by 35 runs at Lord’s after an absorbing contest to record their third LV= County Championship win of the season and leave their hosts without a win in nine games of the competition.

The home side had been left chasing 222 runs for victory in a minimum of 71 overs on a wearing pitch but they were undone by a feeble display of batting from their top-order, with only Nick Compton of the top-five reaching double figures.

Captain Shaun Udal did offer his side some hope featuring in partnerships of 43 and 41 with Ben Scott and Murali Kartik respectively on his way to a gutsy 85-ball half century that included three sixes and a trio of fours plus a painful blow on the jaw from David Wigley.

However his valiant effort was finally undone when he had reached 55 by a Johan Van Der Wath delivery that knocked back middle and leg stumps to leave Middlesex still 59 runs short of their target with only 2 wickets remaining.

The loss of Tim Murtagh in the same over, caught at second slip for a single, virtually settled the contest.

Lucas finished with 4-38 and Van Der Wath 3-38 as Northants gained their first win championship win at Lord’s since 1987.

Left-arm paceman Lucas started the home side’s problems with the first three wickets whilst Monty Panesar claimed two victims as the home side slumped to 66 for five.

Sam Robson was the first to go when he played across the line to Lucas having scored nine of the 25 runs on the board and in his next over, Lucas claimed Owais Shah for four after the batsman was pinned in the crease.

Compton contributed 32 out of 52 before he chased a delivery of width from Lucas and was caught behind before Panesar prised out Eoin Morgan for 6 and Dawid Malan for five in the space of three overs.

Van Der Wath had made a defining contribution with the bat earlier in the day adding a further 45 runs to his overnight score before being dismissed for 85.

He and Panesar had extended their eighth wicket stand to 62 runs before the latter was caught at second slip off Richardson for 14.

Van Der Wath was the final wicket to fall as Northants were bowled out for 293 with Tim Murtagh finishing with 4-51.

Northants, who wrapped up the match with 13 overs to spare, take 19 points from the match whilst Middlesex remain rooted to the foot of Division Two after gaining seven points.