Bevan deepens Yorkshire's woe

Michael Bevan signed off with a match-clinching half-century to take Leicestershire top of the County Championship with victory over the off-colour champions Yorkshire.

Bevan, due to fly out last night with the Yorkshire captain and fellow Australian Darren Lehmann for a one-day series Down Under, took his match tally to 212 on the final day at Grace Road as he hit an unbeaten 76. He shared a third-wicket stand of 135 with Darren Maddy (58) that all but sealed the victory.

Bevan hurried Leicestershire to 207 for 5 and victory with 14 overs to spare on a rain-shortened final day to keep Yorkshire in the bottom two of the First Division table.

In the Second Division, Andy Flower's masterful unbeaten 92 led Essex to a four-wicket win at Northampton. Chasing 291 in 51 overs after Northamptonshire were dismissed for 155 earlier in the day, the Zimbabwean international guided his side home with seven balls to spare. Flower shared a 111-run fifth-wicket partnership with Jon Dakin, who hit 57 in 60 balls, to put victory within Essex's sights.

John Stephenson then contributed a crucial unbeaten 25 in an unbroken seventh-wicket stand of 46, capping a fine day in which he had earlier claimed 4 for 25 as Essex skittled out the home side. Dakin also weighed in with 3 for 75.

Kent secured a four-wicket win in their Division One match with Sussex at Tunbridge Wells. Resuming on 134 for 3 in pursuit of a victory target of 192, the hosts lost Ed Smith early after adding eight to his overnight 74. Sussex claimed two more wickets, but the contributions of Mark Ealham (17), Matthew Walker (13no) and Min Patel (13 no) saw Kent home.