EXPLOSIVE batting duo Neil Pinner and Matt Pardoe returned to Birmingham League action with a powerful double-century stand but Kidderminster Victoria CC were frustrated as they were held to a winning draw by Moseley on Sunday.

The impressive batting duo, who had only featured for Worcestershire in their win over Nottinghamshire in the County League last week, were back in the batting line-up with a bang as they smashed a second-wicket stand of 232 in 45 overs.

That masive score had been enough for KVCC to record a daunting score of 301-5 to put a win beyond Moseley but the plucky Birmingham side hung on for a share of the points thanks to a ninth-wicket stand of 59 by Freddie Eburah and Laurie Evans (109).

The 18-points gained widened the gap between fourth from bottom KVCC and Moseley, who are directly below them, to nine points.

Pardoe has been in impressive form for the county side, while Pinner has also made an impressive in the Pro 40 League, but with Worcestershire in twenty20 action over the weekend, the pairing were released for KVCC action in the Premier Division.

KVCC had lost the toss and were put into bat by the home team and Craig Wood was dismissed by Eburah for 10 runs.

That brought Pardoe and Wood together at the crease and they quickly got back into the groove for KVCC.

Having played so much cricket together over the years, these two 20-year-olds appear to be telepathic. The running between the wickets was brilliant, with a fast outfield helping many balls to the boundary.

They kept neck-and-neck, and the only hold up to their scoring rate came when spinner Usman Awan came on to bowl. His first two overs cost just one run, but Pardoe soon changed that. In the next over he hit two sixes and in the next over he was hit for three fours by Pinner.

The score stood at 249 in the 50th over when the partnership ended. Neil Pinner on 120 was caught by Tom Watts bowled Abdul Hafeez, after He had struck eleven 4s and two 6s.

Pardoe departed in the following over. With 105 to his name, he was caught Addan Din bowled Awan. He had hit eight boundaries and three sixes.

With the scoreboard reading 249-2 with only five overs remaining, some action was called for and it came from skipper Jonathan Wright. Awan was bowling but had conceded 63 runs from his nine overs. It was about to get worse, when Wright took a look at the first ball and then hit the next two for six.

He hit a third six off Tom Watts, who had his revenge when he had Wright leg before for 20.

Andy Kimberlin (7) out to a super catch by keeper Jason Robinson off the bowling of Watts and then we had two first team debutants at the wicket.

Marc Edwards, an England international hockey player was joined by 16-year-old Zac Turley who later took over the wicket-keeping duties from the injured Jon Smith.

Turley looked confident and hit two god fours in his score of 16 and Edwards bagged four, giving KVCC a solid total of 301-5.

Tom Watts was the only Moseley bowler who had any real success, taking 2-48. The other wickets fell to Eburah, Uwan and Hafeez, who took one each.

The Moseley innings started disastrously with the loss of three wickets for only 15 runs.

First out was Alex Stanley, trapped lbw by Richard Kimberlin for one. The other opener, Huw Jones, was out to a brilliant catch by Edwards at gulley for a duck off Gareth Williams' bowling.

Another good catch by Mark Mansell removed Usman Shabir (16), giving Kimberlin his second wicket.

Batting at number three was Warwicshire-batsman Evans, who continued to pick up runs as wickets tumbled around him.

At 38 and 52 two more wickets fell. Hafeez was trapped lbw by Williams for nine and the same bowler had Din caught and bowled for eight.

Evans was scoring well but when Robinson had scored 18, he was given out lbw to Wright.

Wright continued to take wickets. Another good catch by Mansell at slip had Awan out for a duck, Watts was bowled for four, before Richard Gordon was trapped lbw for yet another duck.

It looked as if KVCC had the game tied up but number 11 batsman Eburah had other ideas.

Evans was scoring well but Eburah, while hitting one four, played the anchor role brilliantly. The partnership added only 59 runs in the last 17 overs, but it saved the day for their team.

Evans finished on 109, a superb knock under great pressure, hitting 20 boundaries, but the real hero was Eburah who was as stubborn a batsman as we have seen for some time.

Kidderminster tried seven bowlers but could not get the final wicket. While Wright took 4-28 and Kimberlin 2-34, Gareth Williams was also in good form with figures of 3-30.