A FULL morning's play was required for Northamptonshire to complete a seven-wicket triumph over Gloucestershire in LV= County Championship Division Two.
Set just 88 to win, Northants had mustered only 14 when Kyle Coetzer (6) shovelled David Payne to a diving Jack Taylor at midwicket.
An over later it was 18 for two, visiting skipper Stephen Peters top-edging an attempted drive to pick out substitute fielder Graeme McCarter at mid-off and reward Will Gidman from the Ashley Down Road end.
The 12th over proved highly eventful, Alex Wakely taking a liking to Taylor and smashing him for six and four off successive deliveries.
But the off-spinner had the last laugh, as Wakely attempted another expansive leg-side heave and was snared by Chris Dent at midwicket for 20.
At 51 for three there was still a smidgen of intrigue, only for David Sales and Rob Newton to put the seal on a match in which their side accrued a maximum 24-point haul.
Effectively 68 for nine at the start of the final day, Gloucestershire had pinned their hopes on Taylor and Liam Norwell to post some sort of meaningful victory target.
Taylor duly produced a majestic six over long-on off Trent Copeland, and the next delivery was deftly steered over the slips for four.
Probably batting lower in the order than his talent merits, Taylor was just two short of a half-century when he tried to fend off a rising delivery from Steven Crook and chopped it onto his stumps.
It was seamer Crook's seventh wicket in the match, and with David Willey, Andrew Hall and Copeland in such prime early-season form Northants have a pace arsenal that is the envy of most of the rest of second division.
