Steve Magoffin finished with match figures of 8-40 as Sussex wrapped up an innings-win over Northamptonshire with five sessions to spare in the LV= County Championship clash at the BrightonandHoveJobs.com County Ground.
The Australian seamer picked up three more victims today as the hosts condemned their opponents to an eighth defeat in 10 Division One games by an innings and 85 runs.
The lunch break was delayed when Northants lost their ninth wicket and Ashar Zaidi sealed Sussex's first win since April when he had last man David Willey stumped for seven, leaving Steven Crook unbeaten on 52 in a total of 204. Victory moves Sussex up to fifth place in the table.
Crook apart, the visitors offered little resistance as Magoffin finished with 3-28 to add to his five scalps in the first innings.
Lewis Hatchett made the breakthrough after Northamptonshire had resumed on 80 for three, nightwatchman Olly Stone fending a rising delivery from the left-hander to third slip.
Matthew Spriegel was leg before to Magoffin offering no shot and there was little Kyle Coetzer could do when the same bowler got a ball to rear up off a length which the Scotland international edged through to wicketkeeper Ben Brown.
Rob Newton was then caught behind off Magoffin and Northants were 101 for seven and sinking fast.
Ben Duckett and Andrew Hall provided some resistance, taking the score to 129 before Matthew Hobden replaced Magoffin and had Hall smartly taken to his left at second slip by James Tredwell.
Crook showed his intentions from the start, hitting his first two balls to the boundary, while Duckett had a reprieve on 23 when Brown missed a difficult stumping chance off off-spinner Tredwell.
2 - @SussexCCC have won their last two @LV_Cricket games vs. Northamptonshire after failing to win any of the preceding 10 meetings. Retort.
— OptaJim (@OptaJim) July 8, 2014
The ninth-wicket pair added 61 before Sussex skipper Ed Joyce turned to Zaidi's left-arm spin, and he obliged by having Duckett well caught at short-leg by Chris Nash as he prodded forward.
The fall of the ninth wicket meant lunch was delayed but, after some defiant blows by Crook took him to 52 from 48 deliveries, with eight fours and a maximum off Zaidi, Northamptonshire were beaten when Willey over-balanced and was smartly stumped by Brown to give spinner his second wicket.
Crook's runs were the only half-century by a Northamptonshire player in either innings and, on this evidence, it is hard to see them avoiding an immediate return to Division Two after just one season in the top flight.
Sussex’s first victory in nine championship matches drags them out of the relegation places.