Luke Procter and James Sales both hit brilliant centuries to crown a remarkable Northamptonshire run chase against Middlesex as they reached their 311-run target in just over two sessions with 10 overs to spare at Wantage Road.
It took Northamptonshire to their second County Championship win of the season by four wickets and keeps their hopes of promotion alive.
Procter played a true captain’s innings of 107, his second ton of the campaign in a third wicket partnership of 156 in 26.4 overs with Sales who picked up the mantle when his captain fell, going on to make 108.
Middlesex skipper Toby Roland-Jones (2-48) was left to rue his declaration calculations despite the visitors adding another 117 runs for the loss of five wickets in the morning session, Max Holden making 54 and Ryan Higgins a quickfire 44. With Roland-Jones calling time on 332-8, Calvin Harrison finished with figures of 4-107, while Liam Guthrie (2-60) took a further wicket to register a career best match haul of 9-154.
It left Northamptonshire with 73 overs to reach their target at 4.2 runs per over, a rate they matched and then exceeded as the day wore on. Middlesex will also reflect on their fielding performance with Procter given three lives off dropped catches on 12, 27 and 88.
Earlier Middlesex resumed on 215-3 and were proactive from the outset as they went in search of quick runs to set up the declaration.
Holden was unable to press on further after his half-century, bowled by Guthrie, but Higgins motored on, hooking Guthrie for six, flat batting Procter down the ground and attacking the spinners. Harrison had the final word when Higgins was deceived by the wrong’un as he attempted to sweep, the ball hitting the base of middle stump.
A brilliant piece of fielding from Ricardo Vasconcelos accounted for Ben Geddes (24) as he swept Harrison. Vasconcelos took the catch on the square leg boundary, throwing the ball up as he stepped over the rope before walking in to pouch it safely.
Middlesex’s lower order tried to keep up the pace, but lost a couple of quick wickets, Luke Hollman coming down the wicket to Lloyd Pope and picking out long-off while Zafar Gohar cut Harrison straight to extra cover.
With runs drying up, Roland-Jones called time to give Northamptonshire an awkward 20 minutes before lunch. It almost paid off when Vasconcelos edged Tom Helm, but Leus du Plooy shelled the chance at slip.
The hosts were gifted another life after the interval when Procter was put down by a diving Josh de Caires at midwicket, but they picked up Vasconcelos three balls later when he drove loosely against Roland-Jones, Hollman taking a tumbling catch at point.
Gohar found turn straight away, causing problems for the left-handers, bowling into the rough outside off-stump and almost removed Procter when he swept out to the square leg boundary. Hollman took an excellent running catch but could not hold on.
Amid a fiery but expensive spell from Higgins, Procter powered one down the ground while Harrison cracked him over midwicket for six before the bowler trapped him lbw with one that kept low.
Sales ran a single off de Caires to take Northamptonshire to 100 off 26 overs and dispatched Gohar over cow corner for six before Procter swept Gohar to bring up his half-century.
Sales was using his feet well against the spinners, coming down the wicket to drive Gohar through the covers, going back to cut him behind square and when Hollman dropped short, he whipped him through midwicket. On the stroke of tea, he swung de Caires high over midwicket as Northamptonshire went in on 149-2, still needing 162 in 39 overs.
Northamptonshire came out firing after tea, Sales hooking Helm in front of square as he reached his half-century. Procter ran a quick two off Robson to reach his century, while Sales disdainfully put away a half-tracker, dissecting two fielders.
Runs kept flowing as Procter reverse swept Gohar for four to take the run rate required below three and bring up the 150 partnership, before he was trapped lbw by Robson.
Tim Robinson deposited a Robson full toss over extra cover, while Sales steered Roland-Jones down to third to take the target down to 50 and move into the nineties.
Northamptonshire lost a fourth wicket when Robinson lofted Roland-Jones to wide mid-off, but Sales continued to attack, coming down the track against Gohar to move to 99 before working Roland-Jones to fine leg to reach his century.
There was some late drama when Saif Zaib was caught on the boundary off Hollman and Sales finally departed, edging to slip off Robson. But with Justin Broad deploying his favourite sweep shot, Northamptonshire duly sealed the win.
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