Essex beat North-amptonshire by nine wickets to open their County Championship campaign in style and with the full haul of 22 points at Chelmsford.

The visitors were dismissed for 237 in their second innings leaving their hosts to knock off the 15 required runs in just 2.1 overs.

Architects of the final day's flourish were Ryan ten Doeschate and Ravi Bopara, who collected five wickets between them.

Netherlands ICC World Cup all-rounder ten Doeschate grabbed two victims in five deliveries to put the home side in sight of victory.

Northamptonshire had started the day on 42-4, needing a further 181 runs to make Essex bat again.

By lunch, Northants still needed 76 runs and had just four wickets in hand, including that of Lance Klusener.

The South African had finished unbeaten on 72 in the first innings and again posed a difficult opponent, holding the innings together until he became the last wicket to fall when just eight runs short of a century.

Having offered a chance to Jason Gallian at first slip when he had scored 45, Alex Wakely was the first wicket to fall on the final day when the same fielder held onto a catch to dismiss the opener for 53 off the bowling of Ravi Bopara.

The loss of Niall O'Brien to the final delivery before lunch when Bopara, who enjoyed a splendid all-round match, pouched a catch at cover, left Essex firmly in the driving seat.

Although they were held up by a partnership of 48 between Klusener and Steven Crook, the introduction of ten Doeschate finally set Essex on the path to victory as he snared Crook and David Wigley before sending Shaun Bailey's off-stump cart-wheeling out of the ground.

All the time, Klusener was closing in towards a century, but having faced 153 deliveries and struck 10 boundaries, he edged a ball from Masters to Gallian.

Essex then lost Gallian to a Stephen Peters slip catch, but it was far too little, far too late.

Earlier, on Friday, opener Jason Galllian and England man Bopara had continued their run avalanche, both passing 150 before losing their wickets.

And there was also time for captain Mark Pettini to begin the season in encouraging style with a fine unbeaten 80.