Pinner and Kurtz give County the edge
Tue 16 Jun 2015
REPORT | By Pete Johnson
Half-centuries from Neil Pinner and Eben Kurtz gave Leicestershire Second XI the edge on the second day of the Championship game against Northamptonshire at Hinckley Town/CCA.
The duo’s efforts meant that Northamptonshire were set 272 to win and they reached the close on 3-0, so everything is set up for an interesting final day in this low-scoring match.
Day two of this Second XI Championship encounter was greeted by a day associated with summer. A fair number of spectators were present inquisitively, and attentively, peering over the picket fence that circles the field of play.
Northants resumed on 66-5, the not out batsmen being David Murphy 26 and Graeme White 4. With the 3rd ball of the morning Alex Wyatt removed Murphy (29) lbw.
White and Maurice Chambers then stuck around for 17 overs but the introduction of Liam Hurt at the Pavilion End swung the game in County’s favour.
In his second over, Hurt had White (45) superbly caught low down at second slip by Neil Pinner, leaving Northants on 131-7. With the next ball Hurt tore through Sanderson’s guard and the delivery broke one of the stumps as it was uprooted.
The end to the innings soon followed as Karl Penhale (1) went lbw to left arm spinner Will Holmes and Chambers (24) was caught by Wyatt at mid-off from the bowling of Tom Wells. Northants all out for 138 from 51.3 overs, trailing Leicestershire by 66 runs.
County had eight overs to bat before lunch and the fourth ball of the last over of the session saw Aadil Ali (8) fall lbw to Sanderson. Only four of the batsmen made it into double figures, one of whom was Matt Boyce, who made a patient 31 from 69 balls when he was adjudged lbw attempting to sweep White.
Boyce had been admirably supported by Pinner (75) who was to play a rock-like role as the innings developed. With Boyce gone, County were on 61-2 with Pinner on 15. Lewis Hill (7), Wells (0), and Zak Chappell (0) all perished whilst Pinner stood firm, Leicestershire in a bit of trouble on 89-5.
Pinner at last found a partner who stuck around in Kurtz. Pinner brought up a well deserved half-century with the penultimate ball before tea. It contained four boundaries and came from 104 balls, with the score on 113-5 from 45.5 overs.
The duo went to the interval on 50 and 9 respectively with the hosts on 113-5 from 46 overs. After tea the partnership blossomed and gave County the upper hand in the game.
Pinner and Kurtz had added 84 - the highest partnership of the match - when the former became yet another lbw victim, this time to Chambers. Pinner’s knock came from 149 balls and was a fine testament to his application and concentration in difficult circumstances.
Young batsman Kurtz was on 40 when Pinner departed with the score on 173-6. Kurtz then took on the role as the ‘senior batsman’ but had to watch Conor Harvey (0), Hurt (0) and Holmes (1) depart in quick succession.
Kurtz went to his 50 (4x4) from 110 balls. It was another mature and responsible innings from this young man, who already appears to have the patience of a saint and who can hopefully even only get better with age.
Wyatt was last man in and made a whirlwind 10 from 7 balls before being skittled by Chambers. Kurtz was unbeaten on 60 from 118 balls, and you got the impression he would still be batting now if there was someone at the other end who could stick around with him. County all out for 205, a lead of 271.
Northants had five overs to negotiate before the close and did so without any casualties, closing on 3-0. The visitors require a further 269 to win tomorrow from a minimum of 96 overs.
