GLOUCESTERSHIRE head coach Richard Dawson said his side were poor as Ben Sanderson took a career-best 8-73 as Northamptonshire took 114-run win over them on Thursday in the County Championship.

Needing to bat out the final day with eight-wickets in hand, George Hankins made a maiden first-class century but Sanderson saw Northants to a fourth win in their final six games taking four wickets with the second new ball.

Dawson said: “Our aim for the day was just to bat out and if we’d batted the day, we may have been there for thereabouts.

“To be bowled out for 260 in the first innings wasn’t good enough and then in the second innings with the ball we weren't good enough.”

Sanderson removed Gareth Roderick and Will Tavare on the third evening but took until after lunch on day three to add to his haul. He ended a fourth-wicket stand of 103 by having Chris Dent held at second slip and two balls later trapped Hamish Marshall lbw for a second-ball duck to revive his sides hopes.

They had slipped again as Hankins, with 116 to his name, and Phil Mustard moved Gloucestershire to 286 for 5 with 27 overs left in the day but Sanderson found movement with the second new-ball to beat the inside edge of Hankins to take out middle and leg stump - completing a fourth five-wicket haul of the season - and then trap Jack Taylor lbw for 5.

It left Northants with 23 overs to find three wickets and Sanderson had Craig Miles edging to second slip, Rory Kleinveldt forced David Payne into a tame chip to extra-cover before fittingly, Sanderson won the game by ending Mustard’s resistance, he also edged to second slip for a battling 79.