for the fourth wicket, and Worcestershire looked confident of avoiding the follow-on with the score on 330 for 4. However, two wickets from Andrew Symonds and three from James Anderson ended the Worcestershire effort for 376, still trailing by 186. Mark Chilton enforced the follow on, and things went from bad to worse for the visitors. No batsman passed 25, Glen Chapple got four wickets for Lancashire, and by the close Worcestershire were 112 for 9 – needing 72 to avoid an innings defeat. However, with the tenth ball of the fourth day Chapple dismissed Kabir Ali to end with five for 32, and Warwickshire were all out for 113. (Cricinfo scorecard) September A four-day match starting on 30 August at Wantage Road in Northamptonshire, however, ended in defeat, as did a one-day game in Essex. Four days later they came back to defeat Essex in the Championship to secure promotion, before suffering their fourth consecutive League loss in succession – this time to Middlesex Crusaders – which left the relegation battle in Division Two wide open, with four teams tied on points from sixth to ninth place, thus Lancashire's match with Worcestershire on 25 September looked to be crucial. Lancashire lost their final Championship match of the season, as Leicestershire took a four-run victory, yet won the Division Two with a seven-point margin to runners-up Durham, and escaped relegation on the final day of the National League with a 75-run win over Worcestershire – sending their opponents down in Division Two. County Championship: Northamptonshire v Lancashire (30 August-2 September) Northamptonshire (19pts) beat Lancashire (6pts) by 285 runs Northamptonshire recorded their fourth win of the season thanks to their top order batting and their spin bowling. They had won the toss and batted, placing themselves well at 224 for 4, but the last six wickets yielded only 63 runs, and Lancashire seamer Dominic Cork could take three late wickets to end with four for 27. Northamptonshire were bowled out early on the second morning for 289, but immediately hit back, Damien Wright dismissing Lancashire's captain Mark Chilton for 0. In a bowling effort dominated by spinners – Jason Brown and Monty Panesar sharing 68 of the 94 overs bowled – Northamptonshire tugged away, and but for Stuart Law's 111, the hosts might have got a first innings lead. However, it was Lancashire who got a lead of 12, with Brown