WORCESTERSHIRE resisted pressure to join an undercurrent of discontent with the performances of Shoaib Akhtar.

Many supporters were critical of Shoaib's erratic contribution -- five wickets in the first innings followed by a spell of 0-56 in six overs in the second innings -- as the team slipped to defeat by 137 runs against Northamptonshire.

The Pakistan Test bowler also had a brush with umpire Roy Palmer, swiping the bails off the stumps in a swing of his sun hat, but the County's chief executive, Mark Newton, said the matter had closed with "an immediate apology" to the official.

In general, the County are satisfied with Shoaib's contribution of 14 wickets in two Frizzell Championship matches and believe that, as a shock bowler, he could still revive their flagging promotion challenge.

Newton added: "We are in a situation where we have one of the world's leading fast bowlers. He has proved this on a couple of occasions with us and he has contributed with the bat.

"Clearly he is a very good bowler who does add value to the other bowlers in terms of what he can tell them.

"He is a character and inevitably there are difficult issues to deal with. But he has a determination to prove to the world of cricket that he's still a force to be reckoned with."

Northants raised their own hopes of making a late promotion challenge in the championship by wrapping up an emphatic 137-run victory over fast-fading Worcestershire at New Road.

The success inside three days pushed Worcestershire to a fourth consecutive defeat in a head-long plunge from second place in Division Two.

As if to deepen their despair, Graeme Hick registered his first 'pair' in 21 years with the county.

David Sales, who engineered a major recovery from 64-5 on Friday, was eighth out for 190 as Northamptonshire were dismissed for 386 and the home side folded for 222 in vain pursuit of an optimistic 360 to win.

Ben Smith merely delayed the inevitable with a fighting innings of 92 from 146 balls.

Time was not an issue for Worcestershire but their indifferent batting form certainly was a problem.

Stephen Moore, normally an exception in a personal season of over 1,000 runs, departed in Damien Wright's second over.

And skipper Vikram Solanki needed an x-ray after a Ben Phillips delivery nipped up and rapped his right thumb.

Zander de Bruyn injected some confidence with a rapid 43 and Shoaib went for 19, losing his grip on the bat in the process which landed 15 yards away.