Balbirnie Passes First Class Landmark but Honours Even on Day 2
By dint of runs on the board the Knights may be ahead of the game but it’s very much honours even after two days of Championship cricket at Pembroke.
Andrew Balbirnie passed 1000 First Class runs as his unbeaten 81 guided the Lightning to 320/4 at Stumps and within 120 of the Knights with six 1st-innings wickets in hand.
A wonderful opening stand of 112 from Jack Tector and Stephen Doheny had earlier laid the platform for a solid batting display from the Lightning side.
Tector, continuing his return from a broken finger, looked in fine nick as he manoeuvred the ball and field at will. Opening partner Doheny looked equally comfortable in compiling his maiden First Class half-century.
Doheny was the first wicket to fall edging to slip before Tector fell for his First Class top-score of 87. John Anderson showed his class with 6 boundaries in his 35 before been given out caught behind by Rock who was up to the stumps.
After Singh fell for a run-a-ball 26, Balbirnie and George Dockrell saw the Lightning through the final 12 overs without incident. Initially ensuring the follow-on score of 290 was passed and then taking the score to 320/4 by the close.
The Knights bowling attack performed well, and the Lightning batters had to show all their talent and experience to bat comfortably through the 96 overs of the day.
At the start of Day 2, Knights captain James Shannon declared immediately after Mark Adair (91 off 117 balls;12x4, 3x6) fell caught and bowled to Josh Little in just the 6th over of play.
Play resumes at 10.30am on Thursday for the third and final day.
Hanley Energy IPC Leinster Lightning v Northern Knights, Day 2 of 3
At Sydney Parade, Pembroke CC
Northern Knights 440/9d (J McCollum 93, M Adair 91, M Ellison 64, H Tector 52; S Singh 28-7-75-3, T Kane 19-4-35-2)
Leinster Lightning 320/4 96 overs (J Tector 87, A Balbirnie 81*, S Doheny 50; S Getkate 11-1-41-1, G Kidd 23-4-58-1)