Trevor Ward struck a brilliant unbeaten 160 – his second CricInfo Championship century of the season – to lead Leicestershire to a nine-wicket win over Northants with a day and a half to spare at Grace Road.

It was a spectacular innings from Ward who hit 28 fours and a six as the home side made light work of their victory target of 232.

With the weather forecast threatening storms for the afternoon, they knocked off the runs in 53.3 overs, Ward smashing three successive fours off Kevin Innes to clinch the victory and 15 points, an hour after lunch.

That brings Ward's total Championship runs this season to 436 in six innings and he has an average of 87.2 – stark contrast to last summer when, in his first season at Leicestershire, he managed only 110 runs in seven matches and averaged just over 12.

A delighted Ward put it down to a return of his confidence and self-belief and said: "I have been striking the ball well and it was nice to have a knock like this in a match we needed to win."

Leicestershire began the third day at five without loss, requiring 227 more runs to complete the win they needed to lift themselves up the table and leave Northants marooned in bottom spot.

By lunch the match was as good as won with Ward and Iain Sutcliffe sharing an unbeaten partnership of 157 dominated by Ward.

He enjoyed two moments of good fortune when he was dropped at square leg and at slip on 30 and 50 but they were both extremely difficult chances. Other than that he totally dominated the bowlers, striking the ball beautifully both sides of the wicket.

Although Sutcliffe was out soon after lunch, caught at slip off Darren Cousins for 55, Ward continued to pound the Northants attack. He hit Cousins for three successive fours, pulled Lesroy Weekes for a six and reached his century off 127 balls.

By the time he had won the game with his flurry of boundaries off Innes, the Leicestershire opener had faced 172 balls and hit 28 fours and a six.

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