British and Irish Baseball - Making Another Attempt - Page 7

RMc · 10-03-2021, 12:44 PM

Bump?

as5680 · 10-23-2021, 12:09 PM

[Another long delay due to life getting in the way......trying to get going again now with this.]

MONTHLY ROUND-UP: JULY 1872

Champions the Old Westminsters end July with a two game lead in the Metropolitan League standings, after early season pacesetters The Regent’s Park continued to struggle this month. They lost their first three games, including two to fellow contenders Greenwich, and appeared to be slipping out of contention, only to rally and win twice in a day against the Westminsters. Greenwich are also two behind the Westminsters, with games to make up as they only played four in July, compared to six for each of their rivals. Kensington lost their last two games in the month and are now four back, leaving the race apparently down to three teams.

Salford are still fractionally ahead in the Manchester and District League despite winning just two of four games in July, as second placed Rochdale also lost twice. Oldham managed to share two with Salford but ended the month with defeat at the hands of Rochdale to leave them a game back, while newcomers Miles Platting have rediscovered some form to overtake champions Irwell and move into fourth place. Irwell are still in the race but have lost their last three, and eight of their last eleven, as they fight to remain involved.

In the Leeds and Bradford League, both Bowling and Wakefield had two wins and two losses this month, keeping Bowling just fractionally in front in the standings. Bowling won a dramatic meeting between the two by a score of 6-5 to extend their advantage, only to fall to defeat against last placed Huddersfield in their last game of July, allowing Wakefield to gain ground again with victory over Woodhouse. With four wins from five in July, Bradford have moved into a third place tie with Leeds Central.

Liverpool and St Helens needed a tiebreaker to separate them last year and they are tied for first place again in the Liverpool and District League. Postponements played a large role this month as St Helens played just two, winning both, while Liverpool won just one of their three games. Toxteth had a chance to make it a three-way tie to end the month but were beaten 4-1 by Great Float and sit a game back. Great Float and Linacre are just two back, despite Linacre losing three of four in July, as the race looks very difficult to predict.

Edmonton still have a significant lead in the Middlesex County League, although they gave hope to the other teams by losing their last two games in July, against Enfield and the Old Harrovians. Those teams share second place, but have struggled for consistency and are still only able to boast even records of nine wins and nine defeats. Indeed, all five teams chasing Edmonton are split by just a single game in the standings after Ealing won three successive games, culminating in a 2-1 win over Isleworth which left those two teams tied for last place.

The Sheffield and District League could also become a three-horse race as Sheffield Philadelphia defeated both of the teams above them in the standings during a four-game winning run. Both Doncaster and Sanderson’s Weir still had strong months, winning their other three games, but their defeats at the hands of Sheffield gave the third placed team the confidence to believe that they may yet be able to catch up. Entering August, the railway workers of Doncaster lead by two games, with a vital meeting with Weir due in the next game.

In Scotland, Lanark-Renfrew entered July two games ahead and looked to moving decisively ahead when they defeated Govan in their next game and Dundashill faltered against White Cart, extending the gap to three games. However, Lanark-Renfrew proceeded to lose their next two and with Dundashill winning twice, the margin was down to one game when the two met in the final game of the month. Lanark-Renfrew looked set to extend their advantage again when they led 1-0 going to the ninth inning, but two runs from Dundashill gave them the win and ensured that they go into August level at the top of the standings, with eleven games to play. Nobody else has a winning record, so it may be straight fight between those two teams for the first championship in Scotland.

as5680 · 10-24-2021, 05:51 PM

MONTHLY ROUND-UP: AUGUST 1872

There has been a change in the leadership of the Metropolitan League and it is now Greenwich Meridian, yet to win the title, who are leading the way after a remarkable turnaround in fortunes. Having lost their first game in August and seen the Old Westminsters win theirs, Greenwich fell further behind but they went on to win the next four, including a 4-1 success against the Westminsters, who indeed lost their remaining four fixtures. That gave Greenwich a one game lead at the top, with The Regent’s Park fractionally further back in third place as they too were beaten by Greenwich. Kensington should not yet be ruled out of the race, as they won four from five in August and sit two games off the pace in fourth place.

The race increasingly looks to be over in the Manchester and District League as Salford, winners of the inaugural title two years ago, extended their lead having remained undefeated in six games in August. Most vital were two wins over second placed Oldham, and Salford have now won their last four without allowing a run. Oldham’s month-ending victory over Miles Platting means that they are now alone in second place again, ahead of Miles Platting, while Rochdale lost their first four games in August and now sit fourth, five games back. Champions Irwell are all but mathematically out of the race.

If the race is over in Manchester, it is very much alive in the Leeds and Bradford League where Wakefield lead by the smallest margin from both Bradford clubs, Bradford Beck and Bowling Old Lane. Bowling and Wakefield have led the way all year but both were beaten by Bradford this month, with Beck winning four games out of five to make it very much a three-way fight. Bowling are not in the strongest of form and but for narrow 2-1 win over Hunslet to end the month would have lost further ground, while Wakefield’s loss to Halifax makes the race truly fascinating.

There is also a tight battle in progress in the Liverpool and District League, where Liverpool St Patrick’s saw their hopes of a successful title defence damaged by a 1-0 defeat to Linacre in their final game in August. They had already lost to Great Float earlier in the month, and it is the team from Birkenhead who are chasing them hard now having won all five of their games this month. They trail by only a fraction, while Linacre won their last three games to hold on to small hopes of the championship. Toxteth – who lost twice in a day to Liverpool, and St Helens – without a win all month, appear to be out of the race.

Edmonton Green look all set to be the inaugural champions of the Middlesex County League, as they lead the standings comfortably heading into September. The long-time pace-setters took four wins from their five games this month, including an important 8-3 success over second placed Enfield. That ended a three-game winning run that looked to be bringing Enfield into contention. The other four teams all have losing records, but Tottenham edged into third place by ending August with a win over Enfield.

The Sheffield and District League’s first championship will almost certainly go to either Sanderson’s Weir or Doncaster, as both defeated Sheffield Philadelphia this month to end their hopes of making it a three-way fight to the end. Doncaster began the month leading by two games, but defeat to Weir cut that advantage to one and when they also lost to Barnsley in their next game, Weir took advantage to draw level. Either could have taken a one game lead into September by winning their last game of the month, but both were defeated and they now sit level with seven games to play. Intriguingly, three of those are against one another – two to begin September, and the other on the final day of the campaign.

The Glasgow and District League looks to be going the way of Lanark-Renfrew in its first season, as their rivals Dundashill have faded away through the summer. Four defeats in five games in August, the last of them against Lanark-Renfrew, mean that they now fall back to an even record and appear to be too far behind. It is now Burgh of Partick who lead the chase, having won their last four games, but their only defeat in August was against Lanark-Renfrew who won four from four in the month. They take a comfortable lead into September, although they have two games to play against Partick who could still catch up if they were able to win both.

as5680 · 10-27-2021, 11:53 AM

MONTHLY ROUND-UP: SEPTEMBER 1872

Greenwich Meridian are closing in on their first Metropolitan League championship after completing an undefeated September, extending their winning run to an overall nine games. They won all five of their games this month, as champions the Old Westminsters suffered what could prove to be a crucial loss against The Regent’s Park to open the month. The win did little to help the Regents, whose early season form is a distant memory as they lost their other two games and are now all but officially out of the race. Greenwich could be champions after their next game against the Royal Artillery Barracks if they win and the Westminsters are beaten on the same day, which would be a fitting turnaround three years on from losing to the now struggling Artillery in a tiebreaker.

Having won the inaugural title two years ago, Salford will regain the championship of the Manchester and District League if they win any one of their four remaining games, or Oldham lose any one of theirs. Like Greenwich, Salford have now won their last nine as they found their best form at the right time of year. They only played three games in September but won them all and Oldham’s hopes of catching up were destroyed by a painful fourteen-inning defeat against Belle Vue. Reigning champions Irwell are now eliminated from contention, but may still take second place if they can finish well and Oldham do not. Losing every game in September, Miles Platting’s first season is ending poorly and they have now been overtaken by fellow newcomers Bury.

Bowling Old Lane are out of the running to defend their title in the Leeds and Bradford League, their hopes ending with a 4-1 defeat to neighbours Bradford Beck in the last game of September. That ended a poor month which brought three defeats from four and allowed Bradford and Wakefield to move clear. Bradford lost only once, to a Halifax team whose strong late season form has come just late, and with one game to play they lead the standings by one. It could have been very different had Wakefield not lost twice in a day to Hunslet at the end of the month, but the situation is simplified by the fact that Bradford face Wakefield in their final game. If Bradford win they will take the title, but a Wakefield win will mean a tiebreaker is needed.

Great Float West have won their last ten games in the Liverpool and District League, including a dramatic 3-2 extra innings win over champions Liverpool St Patrick’s, to leave the race tied with two games to play. Liverpool themselves are in good form as well, responding to that defeat by winning their remaining games in September to keep alive their hopes of another title. Their month ended with a narrow double victory over Sankey Brook, meaning that they may yet need to face another extra game, just as they did against St Helens a year ago.

One championship has already been decided, with Edmonton Green taking the inaugural crown in the Middlesex County League. They took the title with four games to spare, completing an undefeated month in September as Enfield faded away, losing their last three games of the month. They have now been overtaken by Isleworth in the race to finish second, as the brewery workers won four out of five in September, falling only narrowly 3-2 to Edmonton.

Sanderson’s Weir look set to be the first champions of the Sheffield and District League, after they defeated long-time leaders Doncaster twice on the first weekend in September to take a two game lead. Weir actually lost both of their remaining games in the month, but Doncaster lost all three of theirs to fall even further behind, and indeed have now lost six in succession. Sheffield Philadelphia defeated both Doncaster and Weir to move into a tie for second place, but that run seems to have come too late as Weir will be champions with one win from their three remaining games.

The destination of the first championship in the Glasgow and District League is impossible to predict, after Lanark-Renfrew stumbled to defeat in all four of their games in September. That should have opened up an opportunity for Burgh of Partick but they were only able to win two games out of four, while Dundashill’s defeat to Partick keeps them one game behind. Surprise contenders are now Tollcross, who have never been in the race this year but who won all three of their games including wins over Partick and Lanark-Renfrew. They now sit just a fraction behind the leaders, tied for second with Partick, with Dundashill one back in fourth place.

In news ahead of the 1873 season, there will be at least two new leagues to follow again next year. One of these will be the first competition in the Midlands, with the Birmingham and District League set to feature eight teams from that city and the surrounding area. Following on from the new Middlesex County League this year, there will be an equivalent competition in Kent next season and that too seems set to feature eight teams. There may be another league in Scotland as well, centred on Edinburgh, but it is rumoured that the city's leading clubs are struggling to find enough members to make a viable competition.

as5680 · 10-29-2021, 07:23 PM

MONTHLY ROUND-UP: OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 1872

Greenwich Meridian are the new champions of the Metropolitan League after an eleven game winning run saw them depose last year’s champions the Old Westminsters. Greenwich entered October with a chance to clinch the title if they won their next game and the Westminsters lost theirs, but the postponement of the Westminsters’ game meant that Greenwich’s win over the Royal Artillery Barracks was not quite enough. A week later, it was Greenwich whose game was called off but in the event that did not leave them waiting any longer for confirmation of the title, as the Westminsters were beaten at home by Peckham to bring an end to their reign. With the championship secure, Greenwich went on to lose their final two games but still ended with a two game cushion over the Westminsters in the standings. The Regent’s Park ended two games further back in third, while Hackney secured a winning record with victory in their final game against Angel, a great achievement from a team who won only nine games last year. Tied for last were Clapham and two-time winners the Royal Artillery, who both suffered very poor finishes to their campaigns.

Salford headed into October knowing the a win in any one of their final four games would regain the title they had won two years ago, but in the event they won all four to end the season on a remarkable thirteen-game winning run. It was an 8-2 success over Bury in the first week of October which secured the championship, and Salford wet on to end the year with two victories over last year’s champions Irwell. Those defeats denied Irwell second place as they finished a game behind an Oldham team who themselves lost their last three, while wins in their final two games earned newcomers Bury a highly respectable share of third place. The other new team, Miles Platting, lost their last two to drop down to a losing record for the year, while two wins to end the year took Moss Grove away from last position, leaving Stockport there alone.

Bradford Beck have succeeded neighbours Bowling as champions of the Leeds and Bradford League, after a 3-1 victory over Wakefield in their final game of the season. Entering the game trailing in the standings, Wakefield needed a victory to force an extra game but gave up two runs in the first inning and were never able to get back onto level terms. The defeat was their third in succession to end the year, a run which cost them a championship which had looked likely earlier in the season. Outgoing champions Bowling also lost their last three to finish a game further back in third. The form team at the end of the season was Woodhouse Lane, winners of their final five to grab an even record alongside neighbours Leeds, while Huddersfield’s awful year ended with just seven wins, leaving them six games adrift in last place.

Liverpool St Patrick’s have completed a successful defence of the Liverpool and District League championship, but they were pushed all the way by Great Float. Entering October level with two games each to play, first Liverpool and then Great Float recorded victories over Linacre, setting up what should have been a dramatic final day with both teams fighting for the title in their respective games. As it turned out, Great Float’s game with Toxteth was postponed, meaning that the race could not end on that day. Liverpool defeated St Helens 3-0, which left Great Float needing to match the victory in their rearranged game a week later for force a tiebreaking game. Having won their previous ten games they were clear favourites, but Toxteth score two in the first and were never caught, taking the game 3-0 and handing the championship to their city rivals. It wasn’t enough to avoid a losing record as Toxteth finished fourth, a game behind Linacre, while Sankey Brook won their final three games to drag St Helens down into a share of last place. St Helens, so close to the championship last year, lost their final five in what turned out to be a dreadful season.

With Edmonton Green already having won the championship, there was little to play for in the Middlesex County League in the final weeks of the season, but Isleworth were able to hold off Enfield to claim second place. Both teams won two of their three games in October, which left Isleworth a game ahead as Enfield finished on an even fifteen wins and fifteen losses. As for the champions, Edmonton did lose their final game 8-6 at Ealing, but were still five games ahead of anybody else in the final standings. The other real story of the year was the decline of the Old Harrovians, who won their first five games but then took only five more in the rest of the campaign. By the twenty-game mark they had fallen to an even ten wins and ten losses, only to lose every game for the rest of the season and end the year four adrift in last place.

Victory at Barnsley in their first game of October would have given Sanderson’s Weir the inaugural Sheffield and District League championship, however they were defeated 4-0 and saw both Sheffield and Doncaster win to extend the race by another week. Their next game against Doncaster provided another chance to secure the crown and in a hard fought battle, Weir came out with a 2-1 victory meaning that the title was theirs. With Sheffield defeating Barnsley on the same day, Doncaster’s loss denied them even a share of second place in the final standings. Everyone else had a losing record, with Holmes Tail winning only eight of their thirty game to finish comfortably in last position.

The first league season ever to be played in Scotland has gone the way of Lanark-Renfrew Border, who are the champions of the Glasgow and District League. Their 9-4 win over Dundashill to open October put them in a dominant position in the standings, only for an extra-innings defeat at Burgh of Partick a week later to bring everything into question again. That defeat meant that Lanark-Renfrew had to win their final game against Govan to secure the title, knowing that defeat would have certainly meant a tiebreaker with Partick, and possibly a three-way tie if Dundashill won their last game. They did indeed do so, 5-2 at Tollcross, leaving everything resting on the game at Govan. Lanark-Renfrew trailed 1-0 heading to the eighth inning, but scored one there to tie it and snatched two more in the ninth to move ahead. Govan had no reply and a 3-1 victory handed Lanark-Renfrew the title by one game after a very close battle. Indeed, five of the six teams were split by only three games, with Govan two adrift in last place.

We now move into the close season, with all the leagues soon to hand out their awards for this year and begin preparations for the 1873 campaign. There are no changes imminent in any of the established leagues, but with expansion of the County Championship looking a certainty and at least two new leagues to follow, the new year looks set to be a very exciting one.

as5680 · 10-30-2021, 05:23 PM

END OF SEASON REVIEW: 1872

Having eased to their first Metropolitan League championship, it was no surprise that the league's awards this year were dominated by Greenwich Meridian. Outfielder Timothy Berry's powerful and consistent hitting earned him the Best Player award, to the misfortune of Jim White of The Regent's Park, who only finished second in the voting despite having the highest batting average in England at .370. Jesse Pennyfather was a near unanimous choice for Best Pitcher, denying Daniel Armstrong of the Old Westminsters a third success. To complete the set, Harold Davies was named as Best Manager after inspiring the team's achievements this year.

The champions earned a clean sweep of awards in the Manchester and District League as well, with Salford's Harry Palmer narrowly defeating his team-mates Christopher Frost and Edwin Weir to win the Best Player trophy. Such was Salford's dominance of the league, any one of those three players would have been a worthy winner of the award. Having struck out more than 200 opposing batters, Henry Barton was the clear choice for Best Pitcher, while Josiah Frost took the managerial honour for the second time in three seasons.

Bowling Old Lane may have lost their title in the Leeds and Bradford League, but outfielder Samuel Gurney's five home runs earned him this year's Best Player award, as no player from champions Bradford even featured among the leading three in voting. Bradford's Maurice Walker came close to taking the Best Pitcher award, but was narrowly defeated by Halifax man John Kelly, who had proved slightly tougher to score against throughout the year. Champions Bradford did take the Best Manager award, which went to Frederick Jones.

Having led the league in batting average for the second time, Samuel Moynihan of Liverpool St Patrick's was named Best Player in the Liverpool and District League for the second successive year. Champions Liverpool missed out on the Best Pitcher title, which as last year went to Jesse Davidson of Great Float. The award will surely be little consolation for Great Float losing out on the chance of a tiebreaker for the championship having lost their final game of the season. Liverpool manager Alfred Hancock must wonder what he has to do to win the Best Manager award, as he missed out for a second successive year despite winning a second league championship. The votes went to Michael Blundell of runners-up Great Float.

Champions Edmonton earned a clean sweep of the awards in the Middlesex County League, with first baseman Daniel Swaffer as Best Player and Jim Aldridge, who led the league in every major statistic, an easy choice for Best Pitcher. Edward West took the Best Manager honour. In the Sheffield and District League, votes for Best Player favoured the powerful hitting of Barnsley's Enoch Leach ahead of men with better averages, while Martin Landeck of Sheffield narrowly took Best Pitcher ahead of Doncaster's Mark Guiney. Champions Sanderson's Weir only took Best Manager, which went to Henry Foreman.

The first awards in Scotland saw the Best Player title go to the last placed team in the league, as Govan's Kenneth Robertson was rewarded for having comfortably the highest average in the competiton. The 203 men struck out by Burgh of Partick's Francis Fullalove saw him take the Best Pitcher award, while Dundashill's Christopher Thomson was named Best Manager. That meant that remarkably, champions Lanark-Renfrew took none of the individual prizes despite finishing at the top of the standings.

Once again baseball observers have attempted to compare the champions of the various leagues and suggest who may be the strongest team of all, and this year the consensus is that Leeds & Bradford League winners Bradford Beck look to be the finest team in England, indeed in the whole of Great Britain. Those in London still consider the Metropolitan League to be the finest competition, but champions Greenwich were rated below not only Bradford, but also Liverpool and Edmonton. Salford may have dominated the Manchester and District League, but would be shocked to know that they were rated by many as the weakest of the champions this year.

As for the 1873 season, the new competition in Scotland has finally been confirmed, with the East of Scotland League set to feature several of Edinburgh's leading clubs next year. With the Birmingham & District and Kent County leagues getting underway in England, there will now be ten leagues running as well as the university competitions and the County Championship, as the game continues to spread in popularity.

1872 ROLL OF HONOUR
Metropolitan League: Greenwich Meridian (1st title)
Manchester and District League: Salford Seedley (2nd title)
Leeds and Bradford League: Bradford Beck (1st title)
Liverpool and District League: Liverpool St Patrick’s (2nd title)
Middlesex County League: Edmonton Green (1st title)
Sheffield and District League: Sanderson's Weir (1st title)
Glasgow and District League: Lanark-Renfrew Border (1st title)
Oxford University Championship: Trinity College (3rd title)
Cambridge University Championship: Jesus College (2nd title)
County Championship: Middlesex (3rd title)
Varsity Series: University of Oxford (2nd title)

as5680 · 11-02-2021, 06:19 PM

1873 SEASON

Preparations are well underway for the new baseball season, with three new competitions and a change to the County Championship. There are no changes to any of the existing leagues, but it has been announced that the Metropolitan League is to expand to twelve clubs for the 1874 campaign, with applications now being accepted and an announcement on the successful teams expected towards the end of this season. The Liverpool and District League is also set to grow next year, moving to an eight team competition, while it is rumoured that the Leeds and Bradford League will also expand but there is as yet no official confirmation of that.

NEW TEAMS: COUNTY CHAMPIONSHIP

The new format of the County Championship has now been confirmed, ahead of the 1873 edition. Lancashire and Yorkshire have been admitted to the competition, meaning that the competition will now have a quarter-final round and will be played over three Saturdays rather than two, with some leagues starting a week later as a result. The northern counties have been allowed to enter on the condition that for this season at least, they play their quarter-final matches away from home.

Last year’s finalists Middlesex and Surrey have been given byes to the semi-finals, while random draw paired Lancashire with Essex and Yorkshire with Kent. Another draw has set the matchups for the semi-finals, with champions Middlesex hosting the winners of the game between Yorkshire and Kent. Surrey will take on either Lancashire or Essex in the other semi-final. As in previous years, home advantage for the final will be decided by the toss of a coin following the conclusion of the semi-finals. The format means that Lancashire or Yorkshire would have to reach the final if they were to have a chance of playing a home game this year.

as5680 · 11-04-2021, 07:18 PM

NEW LEAGUE: BIRMINGHAM AND DISTRICT LEAGUE

The eight-team Birmingham and District League is the first to be formed in central England. It has decided to use a thirty-four game schedule with six weeks of double games in the middle of the year, as clubs have been separated into two geographical groups for scheduling purposes. Teams will play the others in their group six times and the teams in the other group four times, with all the double games coming against group rivals. The groups will not be counted separately in the standings, with all eight teams still being listed together.

The so-called ‘Birmingham Group’ features Aston Manor, from out of Birmingham to the north, who play in unique halved jerseys of brown and yellow. From the west of the city are Birmingham Main Line, named after the canal alongside which they play. Their jerseys are blue-green in colour. From the southern suburbs are Edgbaston Rea, who play alongside the River Rea and wear red jerseys with gold stripes. From the very eastern edge of Birmingham, Small Heath Armoury are the works team of the Birmingham Small Arms Company’s armoury and they play just across the railway line from the factory itself, wearing dark blue jerseys with orange and white stripes.

The ‘Black Country Group’ takes its name from the area where the industrial landscape has become stained by soot. It features Dudley Castle, who play on a field in the shadow of that landmark and wear sand coloured jerseys with an elaborate silhouette of the castle embroidered on the chest. The Old Wulfrunians are the old boys’ team of Wolverhampton Grammar School, playing in school colours of red, black and white. Walsall Chuckery take their unusual name from the area of their home field, formerly used for housing chickens, and play in orange and yellow. West Bromwich Trinity were formed by members of Trinity Church and play on a field near to the church building, on the eastern edge of the town.

LOGOS AND UNIFORMS:
Top Row (L-R): Aston Manor, Birmingham Main Line, Dudley Castle, Edgbaston Rea
Bottom Row (L-R): Old Wulfrunians, Small Heath Armoury, Walsall Chuckery, West Bromwich Trinity

MAP OF TEAM LOCATIONS:

as5680 · 11-05-2021, 10:47 AM

NEW LEAGUE: KENT COUNTY LEAGUE

The Kent County League features eight teams from the western half of that county, much to the disappointment of aspiring clubs from the east, who let it be known that they expect to gain some representation in the competition when the time comes for new teams to be admitted. The format of the league is the same as the Leeds and Bradford League, with eight teams playing the other seven four times each for a twenty-eight game schedule.

The league begins just outside the suburbs of the Metropolis with Bexley Heath, who play on the Dover Road in orange jerseys with grey trimmings. Bromley White Hart are named after the White Hart Hotel, behind which their home field is located. Their jerseys are light green with a white hart embroidered on the chest. Dartford Brent play on the area of common ground of that name, wearing bright red jerseys. From alongside the River Thames, Erith Pier wear sea green jerseys with brown stripes.

A little further along the river are Gravesend Reach, whose jerseys are black with the club initials embroidered in red. From the heart of the county, Maidstone Queen Anne are named after a nearby road and inn, as well as the monarch of that name. Their colours of yellow, red and blue are taken from the royal coat of arms. Rochester Riverbank are, as their name suggests, based alongside the River Medway and play in blue jerseys with silver trim. Finally, the Royal Engineers have entered a team to be based alongside their barracks at Brompton near Chatham, playing in blue and red stripes with a white chest panel featuring their initials in blue.

LOGOS AND UNIFORMS:
Top Row (L-R): Bexley Heath, Bromley White Hart, Dartford Brent, Erith Pier
Bottom Row (L-R): Gravesend Reach, Maidstone Queen Anne, Rochester Riverbank, Royal Engineers

MAP OF TEAM LOCATIONS:

as5680 · 11-06-2021, 04:07 AM

NEW LEAGUE: EAST OF SCOTLAND LEAGUE

The East of Scotland League nearly did not come about at all, as the four Edinburgh-based clubs struggled to find two more to make up their numbers. First, they invited Kirkcaldy Lang Toun, from across the Firth of Forth in the Kingdom of Fife. They were pleased to accept on the condition that a second Fife team also be admitted, to reduce the burden of travelling across the river by train and ferry for each away game. The only suitable candidate was Dunfermline Canmore, but the Edinburgh clubs were reluctant to admit them owing to poor rail links.

They instead wished to invite a team from Stirling, but Kirkcaldy made it known that should this happen, they would not enter the competition after all. A team from Falkirk were then approached but having only recently been formed, wished to remain a social club rather than a league team for the time being. With Stirling unwilling to be part of just a five-team league and Kirkcaldy refusing to join unless Dunfermline were admitted, the Edinburgh clubs were faced with the prospect of a four-team competition which they felt was not viable, and so reluctantly agreed to invite Dunfermline to take part. Like other six-team leagues, teams will meet one another six times for a thirty game schedule.

After all this discussion, the make up of the new league will be as follows – from Edinburgh come Arthur’s Seat, named after the extinct volcanic hill to the east of the city in whose shadow they play. Their jerseys are red with a royal crown embroidered on the chest. From the west of the city are Haymarket Caledonian, the works team of the Caledonian Brewery which lies alongside Haymarket station, who play in pale beige and grey. To the north of the city centre are The Grange, from the cricket ground of that name. Their jerseys are salmon pink.

Just outside Edinburgh are Leith Hawkhill, who play at the Hawkhill Brick Works and wear light blue jerseys with a silhouette of a hawk. From the Kingdom of Fife are Kirkcaldy Lang Toun, whose name reflects the town’s nickname and who wear maroon jerseys with blue stripes. Named after the nickname of the king who established an abbey there centuries ago, Dunfermline Canmore play in dark blue with thin white stripes and green trimmings.

LOGOS AND UNIFORMS:
Top Row (L-R): Arthur's Seat, Dunfermline Canmore, The Grange
Bottom Row (L-R): Haymarket Caledonian, Kirkcaldy Lang Toun, Leith Hawkhill

MAP OF TEAM LOCATIONS:

as5680 · 11-06-2021, 05:30 PM

TOURNAMENT REVIEW: 1873 COUNTY CHAMPIONSHIP

The first six-team County Championship provided no shortage of dramatic play as Lancashire and Yorkshire made their debuts in the competition. Having both agreed to play their games in the new quarter-final round away from home, Lancashire travelled to Essex while Yorkshire visited Kent as the new season got underway.

Lancashire made a fine start to their game, with Rochdale’s Bernard Greenwood providing a home run in the first inning, while pitcher Jesse Davidson of Great Float was in fine form. Essex were able to find only two hits in the first four innings, before a base hit from Oldham’s Nathaniel May brought home another run to extend Lancashire’s lead to 2-0. That lead held into the sixth inning, but at that point the game began to fall apart for the newcomers. Two successive hits gave Essex a scoring chance with one man out, before catcher Greenwood undid some of his earlier good work as a throwing error allowed one run to score. A hit from Greenwich’s Roland Lloyd then brought home his teammate Timothy Berry to tie the game at 2-2, before Hackney’s John Fraser found a two-base hit to bring Lloyd around to score and move Essex into the lead.

Davidson continued to struggle in the seventh inning, allowing hits to three of the first four batters as Essex put three baserunners on with one out. It was Timothy Berry, winner of the Metropolitan League’s Best Player award as Greenwich took the championship last year, who then turned the game entirely in Essex’s favour as his three-base hit brought in all three runners and extended the lead to 6-2. Another fielding error from Lancashire then allowed Berry himself to score, giving Essex a strong 7-2 advantage with two innings to play. Lancashire were able to get one runner on base in both the eighth and the ninth innings, but could do no more than that against pitcher Stephen Young, a newcomer to the Metropolitan League with The Regent’s Park this year. He successfully negotiated the remainder of the game, taking Essex through to a semi-final meeting with Surrey.

The second semi-final saw Yorkshire travel to face a Kent team who were featuring several players from the newly formed county league, including pitcher Isaac Huntley of Maidstone. He quickly found himself in a hard-fought duel with Sheffield’s Martin Landeck, who was pitching for Yorkshire. Landeck allowed just one base runner in the first four innings, before allowing single base hits in the fifth, the seventh and the eighth. Kent could not score however, coming the closest in the seventh when Peter Sawyer, a newcome with Angel this year, was out at home plate when trying to score on a ball caught in the outfield. While Landeck was pitching well however, Huntley was untouchable, preventing any Yorkshire batter from reaching base through the first eight innings.

It seemed that a Kent win was inevitable given that Yorkshire had not had a baserunner at all in the game, but that changed in the ninth inning as Bradford’s Allan Bessemer recorded a two-base hit to end Huntley’s remarkable run. Bessemer was moved up to third base on a ground ball for the first out but remained there with two out, leaving Yorkshire needing another hit. Bowling’s Samuel Gurney was the man to provide it, bringing home Bessemer to move the newcomers ahead 1-0. Consecutive hits with one out saw Kent threaten a comeback in their half of the ninth inning, but Isaac Whetter of the City of London Club hit a ground ball which allowed Yorkshire to record both the outs they needed and advance to the semi-finals in their first championship, where they were to meet reigning champions Middlesex.

The semi-final between Essex and Surrey provided another battle between the pitchers, with Stephen Young of The Regent’s Park facing Daniel Armstrong of the Old Westminsters. Essex’s Young made a slow start, allowing hits to the first three men he faced before lead-off man Ralph Parker of the Regents came in to score on a ground ball hit by the Westminsters’ Harold Simpson. Surrey had a 1-0 lead and with Armstrong not allowing a hit until the fifth inning, it appeared that the single score may be good enough. Later in the fifth, Hackney’s David Watson got to first for Surrey before advancing to second on sacrifice, then with two men out an error in the infield allowed Watson to come home and extend the lead to 2-0.

Desperate for a chance to score, the moment arrived for Essex in the seventh inning. Armstrong allowed three successive hits to start the inning, but Hackney man John Fraser could not bring the runners home, hitting a ground ball which was thrown to home to prevent a run from scoring. A strikeout and then a routine high ball provided the remaining out, meaning that Essex had not taken advantage of having three baserunners with nobody out. In the eighth Armstrong again allowed two runners to reach base, leading to him being removed from the game and replaced by Martin Hayne of Hackney. Hayne successfully negotiated the remainder of the eighth and despite beginning by allowing a hit, got through the ninth to carry Surrey through to the final for the third successive year.

Yorkshire went into the second semi-final against champions Middlesex looking to reach the final at the first time of asking, and the newcomers made a strong start. Bowling’s Samuel Gurney, who drove in the only run of their quarter-final against Kent, recorded a hit to start the game and having advanced to second, scored the first run of the game on a hit from Huddersfield’s Isaac Daley. Gurney then added another with a home run in the third and Yorkshire looked to be in control of the game, but pitcher Martin Landeck struggled as Middlesex came to bat in their half of the third inning. Three of the first four batters recorded hits, but when Landeck retired Kensington’s Alexander Mitford for the second out, he looked set to escape the inning with little damage. However, four successive hits from Middlesex batters brought in five runs to turn the game on its head, with the champions now leading 5-2.

With Edmonton pitcher Jim Aldridge in fine form, Yorkshire looked to be in trouble but revived their hopes in the sixth inning, as Gurney again recorded a hit to begin the inning and having again advanced to second base, came home on a ground ball from Bradford’s Maurice Dodd to reduce the deficit to 5-3. In the eighth inning, it was Dodd again who was involved as with two men on and one out, he recorded a hit which brought Wakefield’s Arthur Stone home from third base to bring Yorkshire within a single run. Aldridge recovered to record the next two outs however, and Yorkshire’s chance slipped away. They could not get a runner on base in the ninth as Aldridge rediscovered his form, earning Middlesex a 5-4 victory and a place in the final again, where they would battle for a fourth successive championship.

For the third successive year, the final of the County Championship saw Middlesex and Surrey face one another, with champions Middlesex having home advantage after calling the coin toss correctly. Seeking a fourth successive title and a third successive win over Surrey, they found themselves in another close battle of in-form pitchers as nobody could score through the first five innings. Both teams had left men at third base in the second inning, but that was as close as either came to a run until Middlesex came to bat in the sixth. John Pinhay of the Royal Artillery Barracks started the inning with a two-base hit, and when Kensington’s John Goodwin followed that with a hit of his own, Pinhay was able to score from second base and give Middlesex a 1-0 lead. When pitcher Jim Aldridge successfully negotiated the seventh, time was beginning to run out for Surrey as they faced another final defeat.

In the eighth, it was Surrey pitcher Daniel Armstrong who started off with a hit of his own, before a sacrifice and then another hit from Arthur Holmes of The Regent’s Park moved him to third with one out. At that point, Aldridge faltered as a wild pitch escaped catcher Matthew Vanstone and allowed his Old Westminsters’ teammate Armstrong to come home and level the game at 1-1. Middlesex did not score in their half of the eighth and another Westminsters man, Harold Simpson, began the ninth with a two-base hit for Surrey to increase the pressure on the reigning champions. They could not cope as two errors, one in the outfield and one from pitcher Armstrong, brought Simpson around to score and give Surrey a 2-1 advantage. In the Middlesex half of the ninth, there was further drama when a delay of almost 40 minutes for rain threatened to damage Surrey’s attempts to clinch the crown. Pitcher Armstrong retained his composure however, completing the inning without allowing a runner to end Middlesex’s reign as champions and give Surrey a second championship, six years after winning the inaugural competition.

For his efforts, Armstrong was named as the competition’s Best Pitcher for this year. The Best Player award went to Yorkshire’s Samuel Gurney, who recorded four hits in his two games and scored three of Yorkshire’s five runs himself. With the championship now over, attention turns to the league season as the Metropolitan and Manchester & District Leagues begin their new season next week, as do both Oxford and Cambridge Universities. It is also opening day in Scotland next week, with Lanark-Renfrew defending their Glasgow & District League crown and the new East of Scotland League getting underway. Those leagues had been set to start a week later but with the Glasgow competition eager to avoid a repeat of last season’s late finish, they have brought forward the schedule by a week. The new competition in the east then took the decision to do likewise, as they wished to run alongside the already established league.

as5680 · 11-16-2021, 06:09 PM

MONTHLY ROUND-UP: MARCH 1873

The league season is now underway across England and Scotland, with the Metropolitan League having seen a very even start to the campaign. Champions Greenwich, expected by many to be edged out by either Angel, the Old Westminsters or The Regent’s Park this year, are one of six teams who have started with two wins from three games. The other three expected championship contenders are also in that group, along with Clapham and the Royal Artillery Barracks. Most observers expect Kensington to finish last this year, and they have lived up to that expectation thus far as they are the only team yet to win a game.

Salford and Irwell have won all three titles in the Manchester and District League between them and they are the two favourites this year, with Miles Platting also expected to go close in their second season. However, while Salford and Miles Platting have started with two wins from their three games, Irwell have made an awful start to the season and sit in last place, the only team to lose all three so far. Leading the way are Bury and Rochdale, both of whom have won three out of three. Elsewhere in the north-west, Liverpool St Patrick’s are clear favourites to win a third successive championship in the Liverpool and District League and they have won both their games, as have Linacre. Linacre are expected to battle with last year’s runners-up Great Float for second place, but neither is thought to have a strong enough team to overthrow the champions.

In Yorkshire, many people see Woodhouse Lane as strong contenders to overcome both Bradford clubs and take the Leeds and Bradford League title this year. Teams have only played one game so far, but Woodhouse did start with a victory, as did both Bowling and champions Bradford. Hunslet were the other team to win on the opening day. In the Sheffield and District League, champions Sanderson’s Weir are backed to do well again, most likely with Sheffield and Barnsley as their leading competitors. Both of those teams have lost twice so far however, with Weir winning both of their games. Hallamshire and Doncaster have both also opened up with two victories.

Elsewhere in England, Edmonton are widely expected to defend their Middlesex County League title successfully, but they have only one win and one loss from their two games so far. The only undefeated team in that league are Isleworth, who sit at the top with two wins from two games. In the two new leagues in England, only one round of games has been played. Favourites for the Birmingham and District League’s inaugural title are Aston and Birmingham, but while Aston won their opening game Birmingham saw theirs postponed, and so are yet to take to the field. Dudley and West Bromwich were the other winners on the first day. In the Kent County League, Dartford are clear favourites to be the first champions and they were one of three winners on opening day, alongside Rochester and the Royal Engineers. Erith and Gravesend’s meeting was postponed.

Up in Scotland, champions Lanark-Renfrew are narrow favourites to retain the Glasgow and District League, but Burgh of Partick and Dundashill are expected to chase hard in what looks a very evenly matched competition. The champions have indeed won their first two games, with one postponement, and are the only undefeated team at the end of March. Partick have had an unexpectedly poor start, losing all three of their games. In the new East of Scotland League, it is also expected to be a tight battle but Dunfermline are seen by many as the slight favourites. They too however have made a poor start, losing their first three. It is The Grange who have started best of all with three wins, followed by Leith and Arthur’s Seat who have won two out of three.

At the universities, Oxford champions Trinity College are recovering after a poor start, winning their last two, but with six games played Balliol are two games clear at the top of the standings, having won all six so far. Many people were expecting them to finish last, making their strong start a real surprise, while pre-season favourites Wadham and Brasenose have both had just one win, three defeats and two postponements up to now. King’s College, who lost a tiebreaker to Jesus College last year, are the favourites to win in Cambridge this year, and they are one of four teams tied at the top of the standings on four wins and two defeats. Jesus College are in another four-way tie just a game back, as eight of the ten teams are split by just a single game heading into April.

as5680 · 11-16-2021, 06:10 PM

MONTHLY ROUND-UP: APRIL 1873

Angel Islington are looking good in the Metropolitan League as we reach the end of April, having won all four of their games including an impressive win over champions Greenwich. Greenwich have fallen off the pace after winning just one from three in April, with the Old Westminsters moving up into second place as surprise early pace-setters Clapham begin to fall away. Only two teams in the whole country remains undefeated, and one is Manchester & District League leaders Rochdale who have won all six of their games. They ended the month with a dramatic extra-innings success at a Bury team who themselves won the first five but have now lost two in succession. That result allowed champions Salford to move level with Bury in second place, after they lost ground with a defeat to Irwell a week earlier.

After losing their first game, Leeds Central won all four in April to edge clear at the top of the Leeds and Bradford League. Champions Bradford might have been level but for a postponement which leaves them fractionally behind. Liverpool St Patrick’s ended the month with a postponement as well but still lead the standings by the smallest margin in the Liverpool and District League. Victory for St Helens over Linacre in the final game in April leaves those two teams tied for second, just behind Liverpool. The reigning champions are also looking good in the Sheffield and District League, Sanderson’s Weir won three out of four during the month. Having beaten Weir, second placed Doncaster went on to lose at lowly Barnsley and with their next game postponed they sit a fraction behind in second place.

Middlesex County League champions Edmonton are struggling, playing just two games in a rain-affected month but losing both to sit narrowly ahead of last place. Isleworth lead the way but defeat to Ealing leaves them ahead by the smallest margin, with Ealing having won all three in April to move into second place. In the Kent County League, Bexley Heath have won their last three after starting with a loss, and they share first place with Gravesend. Early leaders Dartford and the Royal Engineers both ended the month poorly, with two successive defeats. In the Midlands, Birmingham Main Line stand undefeated in first place having won all four so far, including a month-ending 5-0 victory of Dudley which ended Dudley’s own undefeated start. Highly fancied Aston Manor are struggling for runs and lost their last three games in April, falling into the lower half of the standings.

In Scotland, the Glasgow and District League looks very close this year as every team is within a game of each other. Tollcross are the in-form team, winning their last three having opened up with three defeats, but it is Dundashill and Govan who actually share first place. In the east, Arthur’s Seat won all four in April to move a game clear of The Grange in the East of Scotland League. Leith appear to be moving back towards the rest of the chasing pack as they have lost their last two.

At the Universities, Clare lead the way by two games in Cambridge but could have been further ahead. They were beaten by second-placed Trinity during April, just a part of Trinity’s five game winning run. Champions Jesus College have a losing record and don’t seem to be contenders this year. At Oxford, Balliol have a three-game lead over New College, again having lost to their nearest chasers during the month. Balliol actually won their first twelve games, the same total of wins as they managed in the whole of last season. The biggest shock is that champions Trinity, who have taken three successive titles, lost every game in April and sit two adrift in last place, having lost ten successive games altogether.

as5680 · 11-16-2021, 06:11 PM

MONTHLY ROUND-UP: MAY 1873

This year’s Metropolitan League championship race looks as though it may be between the winners of the last two titles, as the Old Westminsters and Greenwich both completed undefeated months in May. The Westminsters have the advantage at the moment, especially having played and won one extra game in the month, but reigning champions Greenwich have found their form. The highlight of their month was a 9-4 victory over early-season leaders Angel, who lost four out of five in May and are in danger of falling out of contention.

In the Manchester and District League, the final undefeated record across baseball was ended at the tenth attempt when leaders Rochdale fell 3-0 at Oldham, but they have still won ten out of eleven so far this year and continue to lead the way. Reigning champions Salford looking dangerous though, as having lost to Miles Platting in their first game in May, they won the remaining four to move clear in second place. Liverpool St Patrick’s still look tough to beat in the Liverpool and District League, winning their last four games of the month for the concession of only a single run. Great Float, who came so close a year ago, have moved into second place but St Helens have dropped well off the pace, losing their last four including a heavy 6-0 defeat to Liverpool.

The Leeds and Bradford League sees all eight teams realistically still involved in the race, as only two games separate Wakefield in last place from co-leaders Leeds and Bradford. Both of the leaders lost twice in May to keep them close to the chasing pack, while nobody has been able to show any consistent form so far this season. Elsewhere in Yorkshire, the Sheffield and District League race is between Doncaster and reigning champions Sanderson’s Weir, with Weir looking as though they were going to pull clear when they defeated Doncaster midway through the month. A narrow extra-innings loss to Hallamshire and a heavy defeat at Barnsley followed however, and Doncaster won both of their next two games to end the month fractionally ahead.

There appears to be no race to speak of this year in the Middlesex County League, as Isleworth won every game in May and have now won six in succession and nine out of ten this year. They have a comfortable lead over Ealing and Tottenham, with the other story being the appearance in last place of reigning champions Edmonton who lost three of their four games this month. In the Kent County League, the form team are Rochester who won their last four games in May, ending with a stunning 17-3 victory over struggling Erith. That was enough to leave them fractionally ahead of Bexley Heath, who had opened the month by defeating Rochester but could only win two of their other four games. The race is very close in the Birmingham and District League, with early leaders Dudley regaining their form and Small Heath and Birmingham both faltering late in May. Those three teams are tied at the top alongside Walsall, while Edgbaston and Aston are both within two games of the lead as well.

Just two games separate all six teams in the Glasgow and District League, as champions Lanark-Renfrew ended the month by losing twice in a day against a Tollcross team who had been in last place that morning. Partick and White Cart lead the way currently, but there appears to be very little between any of the teams. In the East of Scotland League, it looks to be a battle between Arthur’s Seat and The Grange for the inaugural title. Arthur’s Seat had begun the month with two successive losses but edged to a vital 2-1 victory over The Grange which leaves them fractionally ahead moving into June.

The University season has reached the three-quarter mark and things look good for Clare College at Cambridge, and for Balliol at Oxford. Clare had seen their advantage over Trinity cut to a single game but their rivals then proceeded to lose their last two games of the month by a combined margin of 20-2, allowing Clare to extend their lead to three games by winning their last two. At Oxford, long-time leaders Balliol suffered a heavy loss at outgoing champions Trinity to extend their poor run to six defeats in eight ahead of a vital meeting with second placed Wadham, where another loss would have seen them slip out of the top position. They regained focus however and recorded a 3-0 victory, extending their lead further in the final game of May when they defeated Merton and Wadham were beaten by New College, falling below their opponents into third place as a result.

as5680 · 11-16-2021, 06:12 PM

MONTHLY ROUND-UP: JUNE 1873

The Old Westminsters end the month of June still in first place in the Metropolitan League but their advantage is just the smallest fraction after a mixed month which brought three convincing wins and three narrow defeats. Champions Greenwich won four of their six games to edge a little closer, while Angel did likewise to hold on to their hopes of catching up to the leaders. The Royal Artillery Barracks, who finished last a year ago, have joined Angel in a tie for third after winning five of their six games in June, including sharing two in a day against the Westminsters.

Despite losing twice in the month, Rochdale have extended their lead in the Manchester and District League to three games after champions Salford won just two and lost three of their five. Two defeats in a day against Miles Platting severely damaged their chances, while at the same time bringing Miles Platting into the race as they end June tied with Salford for second. In the Liverpool and District League, Liverpool St Patrick’s hold a one game advantage after winning two and losing two in June. Linacre have taken over as their closest challengers, winning three of four including a very impressive 7-1 victory over the champions.

In Yorkshire, champions Bradford lead the Leeds and Bradford League by a fraction after ending the month with two very narrow victories. They take over from Leeds and Hunslet, who had shared first place until both were beaten in their final game of June. Huddersfield and Halifax, who inflicted those defeats, are now just one game behind first place themselves. All five teams in fact have seven victories to their name, being separated only by their number of defeats having played differing amounts of games. In the Sheffield and District League, Doncaster endured a poor month, losing three of their four games, but retain first place as champions Sanderson’s Weir did likewise. The beneficiaries were in-form Hallamshire, who defeated both to move level with Weir in second place, and Barnsley, winners of all four of their games in the month and five in succession overall.

It was a mixed month for Middlesex County League leaders Isleworth, who won two and lost two, but they still hold a comfortable lead over Tottenham and Ealing. It was those two teams who defeated Isleworth in June however, showing that the race is far from over. Champions Edmonton sit well adrift in last place having now lost their last six in what is becoming a remarkably poor title defence. In Kent, Rochester have now won their last seven games after an undefeated month, the most significant result being the 2-0 win over second-placed Bexley Heath, which extended their advantage. At the half-way point, it is beginning to look as though one of those two teams will be the first champions.

In the Birmingham and District League, Walsall and Small Heath have fallen away a little after a poor end to the month, leaving three contenders clear at the top. Edgbaston share second place with Dudley, who responded to a shock double-defeat against the struggling Old Wulfrunians by ending the month with a double victory against Walsall. They sit a game behind leaders Birmingham Main Line, who having lost two in a day against Edgbaston recovered to take their next four games and move clear in first place.

In Scotland, Burgh of Partick have emerged as clear leaders of the Glasgow and District League after winning every game in June. Indeed, having lost their first three this season, they have now taken eleven of the next thirteen and opened up a three-game advantage. Champions Lanark-Renfrew sit second but can only boast an even record, with the rest of the league close behind them. The Grange have taken over as leaders of the East of Scotland League, having recovered from a 4-2 deficit to edge out Arthur’s Seat 5-4 in fourteen innings when the two met. They won three of four in all, while Arthur’s Seat could only manage one win and two defeats from three games to fall one back in the standings.

Barring a few rearranged games, the university season is now over and there are new champions at both Oxford and Cambridge. In Oxford, Balliol looked to have hit poor form at the worst possible time when they were beaten by second-placed Wadham, before losing their next game to Merton and allowing Wadham to join them in a share of first place. They recovered to win both of their remaining games however, while it was Wadham who then faltered, losing their next two to render their outstanding fixtures meaningless. Balliol, who won their first twelve and then just twelve more from the remaining twenty-four, take the title for the first time. At Cambridge, it was a very mixed month for long-time leaders Clare who lost five of their nine games, including two in succession where victory would have secured the crown. However, chasers Trinity lost five of ten themselves and when they were beaten 1-0 by Queen’s, they could no longer catch up and it was Clare who took their first title. Defeat in their final game may even have cost Trinity second place, depending on the results of rearranged games.

Attention will now turn to the Varsity Series next week, with Oxford defending the title they won a year ago. It is the turn of Cambridge to host the first game this year, with the second and Oxford and the venue for the third being decided by a coin toss should it be necessary.

as5680 · 11-16-2021, 06:13 PM

TOURNAMENT REVIEW: 1873 VARSITY SERIES

In the fifth year of the Varsity Series, the University of Cambridge have edged ahead by three series victories to two after recording a two-game victory over Oxford. Both of Cambridge’s previous triumphs had required a deciding third game, but that was not needed on this occasion as they took the honours in style. In the first game, played in Cambridge, scoring opportunities were few and far between for both teams due to the outstanding performances of both pitchers. Arthur Fletcher of Emmanuel College was chosen to start for Cambridge, while Wadham’s Henry Carroll was chosen for Oxford.

Oxford had a man at third base in the opening inning, but it was Cambridge who manufactured the first run of the series. Trinity’s John Withers opened the second inning with a base hit, before Elijah Galloway of St Catharine’s followed with extra bases to drive Withers home. Cambridge took a 1-0 lead, and despite allowing a hit from opposing pitcher Carroll to begin the third, Fletcher then frustrated Oxford at every turn. Having successfully negotiated the third inning, Fletcher did not allow another Oxford baserunner for the rest of the game, retiring nineteen successive hitters. Twice Cambridge themselves were able to advance runners to third but could not score on either occasion, meaning that the single run was all the scoring that was seen.

The series then moved to Oxford for the second game, which the home team had to win to force a deciding match. Cambridge again moved ahead in the second inning, Patrick Wade of Jesus College leading it off with a hit and then with one man out, Trinity’s Percival Hickmott bringing him home. Oxford had to find a way to score against Fletcher, and in the fourth inning they did so. With two men out and nobody on base, Magdalen’s Thomas Knight recorded a two base hit and Brasenose man Jonathan Porter followed with a hit of his own to bring the score level at 1-1. The pitchers continued to dominate until the seventh inning, when Porter was the man who got things started with a hit. With Porter on second base and one man out, pitcher Carroll came to bat and produced the crucial hit to give his team a 2-1 lead.

If Oxford thought that margin would be enough to level the series however, they were sadly mistaken. His concentration perhaps broken by his important contribution with the bat, Carroll allowed hits to the first three Cambridge batters in the eighth. Then, with three runners on base, a bad pitch evaded catcher Bernard Dunn and allowed Samuel Ford of St John’s to bring home the run which tied the game at 2-2. Carroll gave himself a chance to escape the inning with no further scoring but with two out and three runners on, he allowed a hit from Robert Humphries of St Catherine’s which brought in two runners and put Cambridge ahead 4-2.

In the ninth inning, Cambridge inflicted more damage despite having two men out, as Ernest Norton of St John’s managed to get himself on base for Jesus College’s Mark Dutton to find a run-scoring hit, extending the margin to 5-2. That was too much for Oxford to recover, despite another hit from Porter in their half of the ninth giving another Brasenose man, Stanley Kemball, the opportunity to bring home a run. Fletcher successfully completed the inning to secure a 5-3 victory and take the series, and to nobody’s surprise he was named as the Best Pitcher for this year. Best player went to Dutton, who recorded four hits in eight attempts and both scored and produced important runs in the second game.

as5680 · 11-16-2021, 06:14 PM

MONTHLY ROUND-UP: JULY 1873

July ends with Greenwich Meridian looking strong favourites to retain the championship of the Metropolitan League as they won six games out of six in the month, crucially including two in a day against former leaders the Old Westminsters. The champions have now won eight in succession overall and lead the standings comfortably, aided by a late collapse which saw the Westminsters end the month with a defeat to lowly Peckham. It may be that the greatest challenge to Greenwich comes from The Regent’s Park, who are now tied for second with the Westminsters but have much better form. They also won six from six in the month, including two over a fading Angel team.

The reigning champions are also well placed in the Manchester and District League, as Salford opened July with two wins over long-time leaders Rochdale and then took over in first place when Rochdale lost their last two games of the month. Again it may be that the greatest challenge to the champions comes from elsewhere, as Miles Platting currently share second place with Rochdale but ended the month by winning their last two games with a combined score of 19-3. Liverpool St Patrick’s lead by two games as they seek a third successive crown in the Liverpool and District League. They won all four in July but could only fractionally extend their advantage over Great Float, who themselves were undefeated in three. Linacre’s challenge may be fading, as they ended July with a loss at the hands of St Patrick’s.

There is a three-way tie in the Leeds and Bradford League, with Huddersfield’s undefeated month bringing them into a tie with Bradford and Leeds. Leeds lost the meeting of those two heavily but won their other three games, while Bradford were left rueing a dramatic twelve-inning loss in their game against Huddersfield. Halifax are not out of the race, but are a game back with two games fewer to play and ended the month with a painful loss against Bowling. The league has also finally confirmed that it will indeed grow to ten teams next year, with a vote expected around the end of the current campaign. There is a tie at the top in the Sheffield and District League too, but champions Sanderson’s Weir are not part of it after they let slip a 3-1 ninth inning lead to lose 4-3 in ten at Doncaster and fall a game back. Doncaster share top spot with Hallamshire, who they had been defeated by a week earlier. An excellent win for Barnsley over Hallamshire earlier in the month looks to have been wasted as they ended July with a loss at lowly Holmes Tail which keeps them two off the pace.

Middlesex County League leaders Isleworth only won two of four in July but crucially one was against chasers Tottenham, while Tottenham themselves prevented Ealing from gaining ground by winning their meeting a week later. Although both still have winning records, neither Ealing nor Tottenham look to have the consistency they would need to have a hope of catching Isleworth. In the Kent County League, leaders Rochester brought a seven game winning run into July but could only win two out of four. That allowed second-placed Bexley Heath to edge a little closer despite two defeats of their own, as they played and won one extra game. Rochester lead by just one as the season approaches its final third.

Edgbaston and Birmingham Main Line remain closely matched in the Birmingham and District League, with Main Line out in front by virtue of a marginally higher winning percentage, despite the teams being effectively tied. They should have been further ahead after taking two games in a day against Edgbaston midway through the month, but followed that by losing two against Aston. Edgbaston ended the month with a victory at Walsall which brought them back alongside Main Line at the top.

In Scotland, Burgh of Partick could only win two out of four in July but still have a two game lead in the Glasgow and District League. Dundashill are emerging as their most likely challengers, having won their last five including victory over Partick at the start of the month. Champions Lanark-Renfrew lost their last three games in July and have fallen into a four-way tie with the other remaining clubs at the bottom of the standings, four games behind Partick. In the East of Scotland League, The Grange looked to be taking a clear advantage after Arthur’s Seat suffered consecutive defeats against Fife clubs Kirkcaldy and Dunfermline. However, when the two contenders met to end the month it was Arthur’s Seat who eased to a 3-1 win and they now sit just fractionally behind The Grange in what is a clear two-way battle for the inaugural crown.

as5680 · 11-16-2021, 06:17 PM

MONTHLY ROUND-UP: AUGUST 1873

Metropolitan League champions Greenwich still lead the way as we head into September but only by a single game, after a difficult month which saw them lose three of their five games. It is The Regent’s Park who are chasing hard as they were undefeated in August and have now won ten successive games. The Old Westminsters seem to be out of the running as they also had a difficult month, despite ending it with victory over Greenwich. Manchester and District League champions Salford are looking good to take another title after an undefeated month which included a victory over a Rochdale team whose strong start to the season is a fading memory. They appear to have dropped out of the race having also lost at Miles Platting, who now seem to be the only team who could take the title from Salford. Defeat against Moss Grove has seen them slip a little further behind though, and given Salford’s form they don’t have room for many more defeats.

Liverpool St Patrick’s are closing in on their third successive crown in the Liverpool and District League, winning four out of five this month and extending their lead over Great Float to three games. The crucial moment in the month was the meeting of the two which Liverpool edged 2-1 in ten innings. The reigning champions also lead in the Leeds and Bradford League as Bradford ended August by defeating a fading Leeds team twice. Leeds have now fallen to a losing record, leaving Huddersfield and Hunslet as the leading challengers, although Huddersfield suffered a potentially costly loss at Woodhouse Lane to end August. They trail by one game, with Hunslet fractionally further behind.

The race in the Sheffield and District League has swung towards Hallamshire, despite beginning August with a defeat at the hands of Sanderson’s Weir. They won their remaining four games, including a vital victory at Doncaster, while Weir lost their last two games to fall two off the pace. Doncaster only played twice in August, winning one and losing one, and have three games to make up at the end of the season. They have the same number of defeats to their name as Hallamshire, and so could potentially draw level by winning the matches they have in hand. The Birmingham and District League’s first season looks to be going in the direction of Birmingham Main Line, who also suffered some postponements this month but won all three games that they did play, while rivals Edgbaston lost four out of six. Remarkably, they have now played five more games than Main Line, with the teams having each won sixteen but Main Line losing only eight times to Edgbaston’s thirteen.

Long-time leaders Isleworth are clinging to a one-game lead in the Middlesex County League after losing five of their six games in August, including one to chasers Ealing. Ealing could have drawn level or even moved ahead had they not also been beaten in each of their last two games. The poor form of the leaders means that Enfield, who have won their last three, are getting closer to the top of the standings and even Tottenham and the Old Harrovians have a chance despite only having even records. Kent County League leaders are Bexley Heath, who took over from Rochester this month after winning their meeting 3-2, part of a run of three successive defeats for Rochester. Defeat against Dartford to end the month kept the lead down to a single game however, while bringing Dartford into the race themselves. Maidstone also pulled themselves into contention by winning all five games in August.

Burgh of Partick seem sure to win the Glasgow and District League this year, although that seemed far from the case when they lost their first two games in August, the second to a Dundashill team who closed to within a single game as a result. They lost their next two however, while Partick won their next three and now lead by three games with only five to play. As they play Dundashill and Govan, who are tied for second place, in their next two games they will be champions should they win both. In the East of Scotland League, everything has turned around in the last two weeks as Arthur’s Seat turned a one-game deficit into a one-game lead. After defeating Dunfermline while The Grange were beaten by Kirkcaldy, Arthur’s Seat ended the month by winning the vital game against The Grange 7-2 in ten innings.

In other news, the Metropolitan League has announced the identities of the two new teams who will be joining the competition next year. Six applications were received, including one from the West Ham club who received a single vote the last time the league expanded despite not being located within the boundaries of the Metropolitan Board of Works. Favourites to be elected this time were Hammersmith, who missed out by a single vote last time, and a new team based in Putney. The works team of the Surrey Commercial Docks applied again, as did two more newcomers to the vote, from Limehouse and the Isle of Dogs. Having lobbied the existing clubs with great determination, the team from Putney topped the vote having gained the support of six and were duly elected to the league. However, to the surprise of many, the Commercial Dock Workers team earned support from the four existing members located south of the River Thames and that was enough for them to tie with Hammersmith on four votes each, just ahead of Limehouse who gained three.

A second ballot was needed, whereby any club which had not voted for either the Dockers or Hammersmith were invited to express a preference between the two. When these second votes were tallied, it was the Dockers who had gained the support of two additional clubs and for the second time, the Hammersmith club narrowly missed out. Putney and Commercial Dock will therefore join the league for the 1874 season, with the new format expected to be confirmed in the new year.

as5680 · 11-16-2021, 06:18 PM

MONTHLY ROUND-UP: SEPTEMBER 1873

We have reached the end of September with the championship race in the Metropolitan League one of the most exciting of all this year. When champions Greenwich were beaten by Angel midway through the month, The Regent’s Park took full advantage by defeating the City of London Club twice on the same day to extend their winning run to twelve games and draw level at the top of the standings. The Regents then faltered however, being defeated by lowly Clapham and Kensington, and may consider themselves fortunate that Greenwich were beaten by the Royal Artillery Barracks having only shared two with Hackney. All that leaves Greenwich in first place by the smallest of margins, having four games to play compared to the Regents’ five. The two meet in two weeks from now in a game which may decide the destination of this year’s championship.

The race is all but over in the Manchester and District League, indeed it would have ended last Saturday had Salford defeated Irwell. A 2-0 defeat leaves the reigning champions needing one win from their remaining four games, or one defeat each for Rochdale and Miles Platting. Salford’s march to the championship has been aided by a collapse from Miles Platting, who lost all four games in September and have now fallen fractionally behind Rochdale again in the race to finish second. The championship is already decided in the Liverpool and District League, with Liverpool St Patrick’s continuing their domination of the competition. They secured the crown by defeating Sankey Brook in their final game of the month, combined with Great Float’s defeat at the hands of St Helens. Great Float had managed to extend the race one more week by winning two against St Patrick’s seven days earlier, but that came much too late to give them any realistic hope of catching up.

Bradford Beck will complete a successful defence of their Leeds and Bradford League title if they are able to defeat Wakefield in their final game next Saturday. That didn’t seem likely when they were beaten by Huddersfield in their first game of September, a result which left the two teams tied with five games to play. Beck won their next four however, while Huddersfield played just two more in the month and won only one of them. They have three to play and must hope that Bradford lose to Wakefield, in which case three Huddersfield wins would force a tiebreaking game. In the Sheffield and District League, Hallamshire still lead the way in a tight race, despite losing to both Sanderson’s Weir and Doncaster in September. Weir dropped out of a tie for first place when they were beaten by Holmes Tail in their final game of the month, leaving them one game back with two to play and facing the rest of the season without first choice pitcher Stanley Miller, who suffered an injury to his hand in that game. The unknown factor is Doncaster, who have five to play after several postponements. Their vital win over Hallamshire means that even if the leaders should win both of their remaining games, Doncaster could still tie with them by winning all five of theirs.

Defeat at the hands of Tottenham prevent Isleworth from securing the Middlesex County League championship before the end of September, but wins in their previous three have left them in a very strong position. Victory over outgoing champions Edmonton next week will be enough, although Edmonton have finally rediscovered last year’s form by winning their last seven games. Defeat for Isleworth would not matter if Ealing were also to lose, as the margin would then be insurmountable anyway. The race is over in the Kent County League, where the first champions are Bexley Heath. They began the month with a one game lead over Rochester, but three successive wins compared to two wins and two defeats for Rochester gave them a chance to secure the crown when the two met in the final week of September. Three seventh-inning runs broke a 3-3 tie and gave Bexley Heath a 6-3 victory, securing the championship with three games remaining.

The most confusing race is in the Birmingham and District League, where Edgbaston have moved back in to first place after winning all four of their games in September, including a dramatic late comeback to defeat rivals Birmingham Main Line 4-3 in ten innings. Main Line played and lost three in the month, and all their postponed games mean that they still have seven to play, while Edgbaston have only one. Should Edgbaston win that game, Main Line would have to take six of their remaining seven to win the championship outright, or five to force a tiebreaker. An Edgbaston defeat would reduce that task to five wins to take the championship, or four to tie.

The race is over in the Glasgow and District League, where Burgh of Partick are the new champions despite losing their first two games in September to leave themselves looking a little vulnerable. They recovered to win the next two, securing the championship with a 2-0 victory over Tollcross in their final game of the month. Defeats in their last three leave last year’s winners Lanark-Renfrew in real danger of finishing last this time around. With rivals The Grange having lost to Kirkcaldy, Arthur’s Seat looked set to secure the first title in the East of Scotland League when they took a 4-2 lead in the twelfth inning at Dunfermline, but remarkably allowed three run, all scoring while there were two out, to fall to a 5-4 defeat. That revives hope for The Grange, with the two contenders to meet next week in what is the final scheduled game for Arthur’s Seat. They will be champions with a victory, but should they lose they will face an anxious wait as The Grange have one more to play and would be able to tie by winning that one as well.

The Liverpool and District League has now held the vote to determine its two new members for next season, with no fewer than eight clubs having applied. Located on the edge of the city itself, the Anfield club was a clear favourite to top the vote and duly did so with four votes, while many of the other contenders were from nearby towns and support was largely divided. In the event, it came down to the teams from Wigan and Widnes, with Wigan narrowly edging home by three votes to two. Nobody else was able to secure more than a single vote in their favour. Anfield and Wigan will join the league in the new year, with the league widely expected to follow the format taken by the Birmingham and District League this year, of teams divided into two groups for scheduling and meeting those in their group six times, and those outside four times.

It is believed that the Preston-based Ribble club, who received no votes at all, may be in negotiations with the teams from Blackburn and Burnley, who received no votes themselves when they applied to the Manchester and District League two years ago. These clubs are thought to favour a new league for teams from central Lancashire, as the Liverpool and Manchester based competitions seem determined to ignore them. Whether this league comes about for next season remains to be seen, but there does seem sure to be a new competition in the south east as Surrey seem set to follow Middlesex and Kent in launching a county league for next year. This seems likely to feature six teams, with confirmation of the line-up expected in January.

as5680 · 11-16-2021, 06:19 PM

MONTHLY ROUND-UP: OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 1873

The 1873 season has come to an end with five of the ten leagues seeing very dramatic conclusions to their programme. Three leagues were of course decided by the end of September – firstly the new Kent County League, where inaugural champions Bexley Heath ended the year by winning their three October games to claim a seven-game winning run and a five game margin at the top of the standings. In the Liverpool and District League, Liverpool St Patrick’s also won their remaining games and end up four games clear in first place. Glasgow and District League champions Burgh of Partick entered October with just one game left to play, which they duly won and also finished four games ahead. Defeats for Dundashill and White Cart to end the year meant that Partick ended up as the only team with a winning record.

Salford and Bradford came into October needing only one win to successfully defend their titles from last year, and both duly achieved that. Salford’s 4-1 win over Belle Vue gave them a third Manchester and District League crown in four years, and although they went on to lose two out of three after that they still ended up with a four game winning margin. That was also Bradford’s margin in the Leeds and Bradford League, although the race had seemed sure to be closer for much of the year. Bradford secured the title by defeating Wakefield 3-2 in their final game, while second placed Huddersfield went on to lose all of their remaining games as the gap grew larger. Huddersfield in fact lost their last four without scoring a run, to fall into a tie for second with Halifax and a Wakefield team who finished the year strongly.

Another team who entered October needing just one more win were Middlesex County League leaders Isleworth, but their end to the year turned out to be much more complicated. Leading by two games with two to play, victory over last year’s champions Edmonton would have been enough but they were defeated 2-0, while second-placed Ealing overcame Tottenham 1-0 to take the race to the final game. In that game, Isleworth met Ealing again knowing that a victory would make them champions, but defeat would lead to a tiebreaking game. The game was tense and tight and went all the way to the thirteenth inning before either team could score, and it was Ealing who found the vital run. They claimed a 1-0 victory to leave the teams tied in the standings, and with Ealing having the better of the season’s meetings they would host the extra game. Isleworth had to find a way to recover after the disappointment of their defeat in the previous game, and in another close battle they found the first run in the sixth inning. The game stayed close until the eighth, when Isleworth added three more and although Ealing got one run back in their half of the eighth, they could not recover. Isleworth won 4-1 to take the title that had seemed theirs all year, but which ended up being much more difficult than expected to secure.

In the East of Scotland League, Arthur’s Seat also needed one win having allowed the title to slip from their grasp at the end of September, but their final game was against championship rivals The Grange. Victory for The Grange would give them the chance to force a tie if they could also win their final game against Haymarket, and they started will with a run in the third and two more in the fifth. Arthur’s Seat tried to fight back, scoring in the fifth themselves and again in the sixth, but could not find a tying run and a 3-2 defeat left them with an anxious wait for The Grange to play again a week later. Victory over last-placed Haymarket was duly achieved, moving The Grange into a tie and leaving the teams facing an extra game. Arthur’s Seat had won four of the six meetings and so were to host the game, but having missed two chances to secure the crown they came into the game struggling to regain their focus. The Grange took a second inning lead and were able to hold it throughout the game, as they added runs in the fifth, seventh and ninth while Arthur’s Seat wasted numerous scoring opportunities. Three weeks earlier, Arthur’s Seat had required just one more out against Dunfermline to win the championship, now they found themselves as runners-up after an awful end to the year.

In the Sheffield and District League, Hallamshire had entered October leading the race but their defeat to Sheffield gave a chance to rivals Sanderson’s Weir and Doncaster, who were meeting one another on the same day. Victory for Weir would have drawn them level in first place, but it was Doncaster who came through 5-4 in a dramatic game to make the race even more complicated. One week later, Hallamshire met Weir in the final game for both teams, with Hallamshire knowing that victory would leave them on the verge of the title. They led early but collapsed to a 5-1 defeat, with Weir drawing level at the top of the standings as a result. On the same day, Doncaster earned two victories at Barnsley and with two games still left to play, with a good chance to snatch the championship. Victory in either one of their rearranged games would be enough, while two defeats would lead to a three-way tiebreaker. The first of those games was at Sheffield Philadelphia, surprise strugglers this year, who played well above their usual level in claiming a 4-3 victory over a Doncaster team who had previously lost only two of fourteen games away from their home field. Doncaster now had to defeat last-placed Holmes Tail to become champions, but that game was postponed a week by poor weather to lengthen the wait yet further. When it was finally played at the beginning of November, Doncaster calmed their nerves with four runs in the first three innings and held on for a 4-2 victory, claiming the championship by a single game.

The Birmingham and District League race saw Edgbaston open October by losing their final game of the scheduled season at home to Aston, leaving the destination of the title in the hands of Birmingham Main Line. They played two against Small Heath that day and still had five more to play after that, with Edgbaston’s loss meaning that five victories would give them the championship, while four would put them in a tie with Edgbaston. The two games against Small Heath were split, leaving four wins from five as the target, but when another meeting with Small Heath was lost a week later the task became much tougher. With four to play, Main Line had to win them all to be champions outright, and duly took the next two, which were both against the struggling Old Wulfrunians. That left games against Dudley and Aston in November, with two wins needed for the title and one being enough for a tiebreaker. Main Line took the lead in the first inning against Dudley, but couldn’t score again and gave up runs in the fourth and fifth to fall 2-1, meaning that an outright championship win was out of the question. Their only route to the crown was now via a tiebreaker, which required them to win their home game against Aston. This time it was Aston who scored first, but Main Line tied it up and when they moved ahead in the seventh, an extra game was looming. Sadly for Main Line, Aston tied the game in the eighth and in the ninth, a fielding error allowed them to move ahead 3-2. Main Line could not respond, and their hectic end to the year had proved too much, as Edgbaston took the championship fully five weeks after playing their final game.

As for the Metropolitan League, champions Greenwich had entered October with the smallest of leads over The Regent’s Park, while the Old Westminsters were clinging to the slimmest chance of snatching the crown. The excitement was dampened by the weather in the first week of the month, with the meeting of the Regents and the Westminsters postponed, along with Greenwich’s game against Peckham. A week later, it was the Regents and Greenwich who met one another and the game was a disaster for the reigning champions, Greenwich crashing to a 9-0 defeat which moved the Regents into first place. The Westminsters shut out the Royal Artillery Barracks 3-0 to keep themselves in the race. Greenwich seemed to be falling apart, as their following game brought another heavy loss, 10-3 at home to the City of London Club, but they were relieved to see the Regents also lose, 4-2 at Hackney. With the Old Westminsters winning at Clapham, all three teams now had twenty-one wins, with the Westminsters having played and lost one more game than Greenwich and two more than the Regents.

October ended with the rearranged game between the Regents and the Westminsters, the final scheduled game for the Westminsters and one which they had to win to have any hope of the championship. They duly did so, by a score of 3-1, and with Greenwich defeating Kensington 2-0 it was now the champions who were back in first place. Trailing by a fraction, the Regents knew they must begin November with a win at Peckham and achieved that with a 5-2 success, leaving them tied with Greenwich with one game to play. The final two games of the season saw the Regents host Kensington and Greenwich entertain Peckham, with both knowing that they would be champions if they won and the other lost. Wins for both would mean a tiebreaker between them, while defeats for both would bring the Westminsters into a three-way tie. After falling behind 2-1 in the fourth, the Regents were indebted to pitcher Stephen Young who came to bat with three runners on and two out and produced a hit which brought all three home to earn a 4-2 lead. The Regents held the advantage for a 5-3 victory, eliminating the Westminsters from the race and leaving it up to Greenwich to force a tie. The champions hit back from a 2-0 deficit to level their game with Peckham at 2-2 in the sixth, but with two out in the eighth pitcher Jesse Pennyfather allowed three successive hits to Peckham batters which brought in a run to put them ahead 3-2. Greenwich could not find a way to tie the score, and their defence of the title fell short in the closing innings of the final game. The Regents took the crown for the second time, six years after their first success.

We now move into the offseason, with all the leagues set to give out their awards in the coming days as preparations begin for the 1874 campaign. We know for sure that there will be two new leagues to follow next year, as the Surrey County League will be joined by an equivalent competition for Lancashire, representing the towns in the north and centre of the county which have been overlooked by the leagues based in Liverpool and Manchester. There may yet be another competition to join them, as clubs from the East Midlands cities of Derby and Nottingham are believed to be putting together a league to begin play in the spring. We await confirmation of that, and of the identities of the two teams to be joining the Leeds and Bradford League, voting for which is believed to have been deadlocked in a four-way tie and discussion adjourned to another meeting.

10-03-2021, 12:44 PM	#121
RMc All Star Starter Join Date: Jan 2004 Posts: 1,646	Bump? __________________ "We're all behind our baseball team..."

10-24-2021, 05:51 PM	#123
as5680 All Star Starter Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: Didcot, England Posts: 1,426	MONTHLY ROUND-UP: AUGUST 1872 There has been a change in the leadership of the Metropolitan League and it is now Greenwich Meridian, yet to win the title, who are leading the way after a remarkable turnaround in fortunes. Having lost their first game in August and seen the Old Westminsters win theirs, Greenwich fell further behind but they went on to win the next four, including a 4-1 success against the Westminsters, who indeed lost their remaining four fixtures. That gave Greenwich a one game lead at the top, with The Regent’s Park fractionally further back in third place as they too were beaten by Greenwich. Kensington should not yet be ruled out of the race, as they won four from five in August and sit two games off the pace in fourth place. The race increasingly looks to be over in the Manchester and District League as Salford, winners of the inaugural title two years ago, extended their lead having remained undefeated in six games in August. Most vital were two wins over second placed Oldham, and Salford have now won their last four without allowing a run. Oldham’s month-ending victory over Miles Platting means that they are now alone in second place again, ahead of Miles Platting, while Rochdale lost their first four games in August and now sit fourth, five games back. Champions Irwell are all but mathematically out of the race. If the race is over in Manchester, it is very much alive in the Leeds and Bradford League where Wakefield lead by the smallest margin from both Bradford clubs, Bradford Beck and Bowling Old Lane. Bowling and Wakefield have led the way all year but both were beaten by Bradford this month, with Beck winning four games out of five to make it very much a three-way fight. Bowling are not in the strongest of form and but for narrow 2-1 win over Hunslet to end the month would have lost further ground, while Wakefield’s loss to Halifax makes the race truly fascinating. There is also a tight battle in progress in the Liverpool and District League, where Liverpool St Patrick’s saw their hopes of a successful title defence damaged by a 1-0 defeat to Linacre in their final game in August. They had already lost to Great Float earlier in the month, and it is the team from Birkenhead who are chasing them hard now having won all five of their games this month. They trail by only a fraction, while Linacre won their last three games to hold on to small hopes of the championship. Toxteth – who lost twice in a day to Liverpool, and St Helens – without a win all month, appear to be out of the race. Edmonton Green look all set to be the inaugural champions of the Middlesex County League, as they lead the standings comfortably heading into September. The long-time pace-setters took four wins from their five games this month, including an important 8-3 success over second placed Enfield. That ended a three-game winning run that looked to be bringing Enfield into contention. The other four teams all have losing records, but Tottenham edged into third place by ending August with a win over Enfield. The Sheffield and District League’s first championship will almost certainly go to either Sanderson’s Weir or Doncaster, as both defeated Sheffield Philadelphia this month to end their hopes of making it a three-way fight to the end. Doncaster began the month leading by two games, but defeat to Weir cut that advantage to one and when they also lost to Barnsley in their next game, Weir took advantage to draw level. Either could have taken a one game lead into September by winning their last game of the month, but both were defeated and they now sit level with seven games to play. Intriguingly, three of those are against one another – two to begin September, and the other on the final day of the campaign. The Glasgow and District League looks to be going the way of Lanark-Renfrew in its first season, as their rivals Dundashill have faded away through the summer. Four defeats in five games in August, the last of them against Lanark-Renfrew, mean that they now fall back to an even record and appear to be too far behind. It is now Burgh of Partick who lead the chase, having won their last four games, but their only defeat in August was against Lanark-Renfrew who won four from four in the month. They take a comfortable lead into September, although they have two games to play against Partick who could still catch up if they were able to win both. Last edited by as5680; 10-25-2021 at 03:39 PM.

11-02-2021, 06:19 PM	#127
as5680 All Star Starter Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: Didcot, England Posts: 1,426	1873 SEASON Preparations are well underway for the new baseball season, with three new competitions and a change to the County Championship. There are no changes to any of the existing leagues, but it has been announced that the Metropolitan League is to expand to twelve clubs for the 1874 campaign, with applications now being accepted and an announcement on the successful teams expected towards the end of this season. The Liverpool and District League is also set to grow next year, moving to an eight team competition, while it is rumoured that the Leeds and Bradford League will also expand but there is as yet no official confirmation of that. NEW TEAMS: COUNTY CHAMPIONSHIP The new format of the County Championship has now been confirmed, ahead of the 1873 edition. Lancashire and Yorkshire have been admitted to the competition, meaning that the competition will now have a quarter-final round and will be played over three Saturdays rather than two, with some leagues starting a week later as a result. The northern counties have been allowed to enter on the condition that for this season at least, they play their quarter-final matches away from home. Last year’s finalists Middlesex and Surrey have been given byes to the semi-finals, while random draw paired Lancashire with Essex and Yorkshire with Kent. Another draw has set the matchups for the semi-finals, with champions Middlesex hosting the winners of the game between Yorkshire and Kent. Surrey will take on either Lancashire or Essex in the other semi-final. As in previous years, home advantage for the final will be decided by the toss of a coin following the conclusion of the semi-finals. The format means that Lancashire or Yorkshire would have to reach the final if they were to have a chance of playing a home game this year. Last edited by as5680; 11-13-2021 at 04:10 PM.

11-16-2021, 06:14 PM	#137
as5680 All Star Starter Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: Didcot, England Posts: 1,426	MONTHLY ROUND-UP: JULY 1873 July ends with Greenwich Meridian looking strong favourites to retain the championship of the Metropolitan League as they won six games out of six in the month, crucially including two in a day against former leaders the Old Westminsters. The champions have now won eight in succession overall and lead the standings comfortably, aided by a late collapse which saw the Westminsters end the month with a defeat to lowly Peckham. It may be that the greatest challenge to Greenwich comes from The Regent’s Park, who are now tied for second with the Westminsters but have much better form. They also won six from six in the month, including two over a fading Angel team. The reigning champions are also well placed in the Manchester and District League, as Salford opened July with two wins over long-time leaders Rochdale and then took over in first place when Rochdale lost their last two games of the month. Again it may be that the greatest challenge to the champions comes from elsewhere, as Miles Platting currently share second place with Rochdale but ended the month by winning their last two games with a combined score of 19-3. Liverpool St Patrick’s lead by two games as they seek a third successive crown in the Liverpool and District League. They won all four in July but could only fractionally extend their advantage over Great Float, who themselves were undefeated in three. Linacre’s challenge may be fading, as they ended July with a loss at the hands of St Patrick’s. There is a three-way tie in the Leeds and Bradford League, with Huddersfield’s undefeated month bringing them into a tie with Bradford and Leeds. Leeds lost the meeting of those two heavily but won their other three games, while Bradford were left rueing a dramatic twelve-inning loss in their game against Huddersfield. Halifax are not out of the race, but are a game back with two games fewer to play and ended the month with a painful loss against Bowling. The league has also finally confirmed that it will indeed grow to ten teams next year, with a vote expected around the end of the current campaign. There is a tie at the top in the Sheffield and District League too, but champions Sanderson’s Weir are not part of it after they let slip a 3-1 ninth inning lead to lose 4-3 in ten at Doncaster and fall a game back. Doncaster share top spot with Hallamshire, who they had been defeated by a week earlier. An excellent win for Barnsley over Hallamshire earlier in the month looks to have been wasted as they ended July with a loss at lowly Holmes Tail which keeps them two off the pace. Middlesex County League leaders Isleworth only won two of four in July but crucially one was against chasers Tottenham, while Tottenham themselves prevented Ealing from gaining ground by winning their meeting a week later. Although both still have winning records, neither Ealing nor Tottenham look to have the consistency they would need to have a hope of catching Isleworth. In the Kent County League, leaders Rochester brought a seven game winning run into July but could only win two out of four. That allowed second-placed Bexley Heath to edge a little closer despite two defeats of their own, as they played and won one extra game. Rochester lead by just one as the season approaches its final third. Edgbaston and Birmingham Main Line remain closely matched in the Birmingham and District League, with Main Line out in front by virtue of a marginally higher winning percentage, despite the teams being effectively tied. They should have been further ahead after taking two games in a day against Edgbaston midway through the month, but followed that by losing two against Aston. Edgbaston ended the month with a victory at Walsall which brought them back alongside Main Line at the top. In Scotland, Burgh of Partick could only win two out of four in July but still have a two game lead in the Glasgow and District League. Dundashill are emerging as their most likely challengers, having won their last five including victory over Partick at the start of the month. Champions Lanark-Renfrew lost their last three games in July and have fallen into a four-way tie with the other remaining clubs at the bottom of the standings, four games behind Partick. In the East of Scotland League, The Grange looked to be taking a clear advantage after Arthur’s Seat suffered consecutive defeats against Fife clubs Kirkcaldy and Dunfermline. However, when the two contenders met to end the month it was Arthur’s Seat who eased to a 3-1 win and they now sit just fractionally behind The Grange in what is a clear two-way battle for the inaugural crown. Last edited by as5680; 11-16-2021 at 06:16 PM.

10-23-2021, 12:09 PM	#122
as5680 All Star Starter Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: Didcot, England Posts: 1,426	[Another long delay due to life getting in the way......trying to get going again now with this.] MONTHLY ROUND-UP: JULY 1872 Champions the Old Westminsters end July with a two game lead in the Metropolitan League standings, after early season pacesetters The Regent’s Park continued to struggle this month. They lost their first three games, including two to fellow contenders Greenwich, and appeared to be slipping out of contention, only to rally and win twice in a day against the Westminsters. Greenwich are also two behind the Westminsters, with games to make up as they only played four in July, compared to six for each of their rivals. Kensington lost their last two games in the month and are now four back, leaving the race apparently down to three teams. Salford are still fractionally ahead in the Manchester and District League despite winning just two of four games in July, as second placed Rochdale also lost twice. Oldham managed to share two with Salford but ended the month with defeat at the hands of Rochdale to leave them a game back, while newcomers Miles Platting have rediscovered some form to overtake champions Irwell and move into fourth place. Irwell are still in the race but have lost their last three, and eight of their last eleven, as they fight to remain involved. In the Leeds and Bradford League, both Bowling and Wakefield had two wins and two losses this month, keeping Bowling just fractionally in front in the standings. Bowling won a dramatic meeting between the two by a score of 6-5 to extend their advantage, only to fall to defeat against last placed Huddersfield in their last game of July, allowing Wakefield to gain ground again with victory over Woodhouse. With four wins from five in July, Bradford have moved into a third place tie with Leeds Central. Liverpool and St Helens needed a tiebreaker to separate them last year and they are tied for first place again in the Liverpool and District League. Postponements played a large role this month as St Helens played just two, winning both, while Liverpool won just one of their three games. Toxteth had a chance to make it a three-way tie to end the month but were beaten 4-1 by Great Float and sit a game back. Great Float and Linacre are just two back, despite Linacre losing three of four in July, as the race looks very difficult to predict. Edmonton still have a significant lead in the Middlesex County League, although they gave hope to the other teams by losing their last two games in July, against Enfield and the Old Harrovians. Those teams share second place, but have struggled for consistency and are still only able to boast even records of nine wins and nine defeats. Indeed, all five teams chasing Edmonton are split by just a single game in the standings after Ealing won three successive games, culminating in a 2-1 win over Isleworth which left those two teams tied for last place. The Sheffield and District League could also become a three-horse race as Sheffield Philadelphia defeated both of the teams above them in the standings during a four-game winning run. Both Doncaster and Sanderson’s Weir still had strong months, winning their other three games, but their defeats at the hands of Sheffield gave the third placed team the confidence to believe that they may yet be able to catch up. Entering August, the railway workers of Doncaster lead by two games, with a vital meeting with Weir due in the next game. In Scotland, Lanark-Renfrew entered July two games ahead and looked to moving decisively ahead when they defeated Govan in their next game and Dundashill faltered against White Cart, extending the gap to three games. However, Lanark-Renfrew proceeded to lose their next two and with Dundashill winning twice, the margin was down to one game when the two met in the final game of the month. Lanark-Renfrew looked set to extend their advantage again when they led 1-0 going to the ninth inning, but two runs from Dundashill gave them the win and ensured that they go into August level at the top of the standings, with eleven games to play. Nobody else has a winning record, so it may be straight fight between those two teams for the first championship in Scotland.

10-27-2021, 11:53 AM	#124
as5680 All Star Starter Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: Didcot, England Posts: 1,426	MONTHLY ROUND-UP: SEPTEMBER 1872 Greenwich Meridian are closing in on their first Metropolitan League championship after completing an undefeated September, extending their winning run to an overall nine games. They won all five of their games this month, as champions the Old Westminsters suffered what could prove to be a crucial loss against The Regent’s Park to open the month. The win did little to help the Regents, whose early season form is a distant memory as they lost their other two games and are now all but officially out of the race. Greenwich could be champions after their next game against the Royal Artillery Barracks if they win and the Westminsters are beaten on the same day, which would be a fitting turnaround three years on from losing to the now struggling Artillery in a tiebreaker. Having won the inaugural title two years ago, Salford will regain the championship of the Manchester and District League if they win any one of their four remaining games, or Oldham lose any one of theirs. Like Greenwich, Salford have now won their last nine as they found their best form at the right time of year. They only played three games in September but won them all and Oldham’s hopes of catching up were destroyed by a painful fourteen-inning defeat against Belle Vue. Reigning champions Irwell are now eliminated from contention, but may still take second place if they can finish well and Oldham do not. Losing every game in September, Miles Platting’s first season is ending poorly and they have now been overtaken by fellow newcomers Bury. Bowling Old Lane are out of the running to defend their title in the Leeds and Bradford League, their hopes ending with a 4-1 defeat to neighbours Bradford Beck in the last game of September. That ended a poor month which brought three defeats from four and allowed Bradford and Wakefield to move clear. Bradford lost only once, to a Halifax team whose strong late season form has come just late, and with one game to play they lead the standings by one. It could have been very different had Wakefield not lost twice in a day to Hunslet at the end of the month, but the situation is simplified by the fact that Bradford face Wakefield in their final game. If Bradford win they will take the title, but a Wakefield win will mean a tiebreaker is needed. Great Float West have won their last ten games in the Liverpool and District League, including a dramatic 3-2 extra innings win over champions Liverpool St Patrick’s, to leave the race tied with two games to play. Liverpool themselves are in good form as well, responding to that defeat by winning their remaining games in September to keep alive their hopes of another title. Their month ended with a narrow double victory over Sankey Brook, meaning that they may yet need to face another extra game, just as they did against St Helens a year ago. One championship has already been decided, with Edmonton Green taking the inaugural crown in the Middlesex County League. They took the title with four games to spare, completing an undefeated month in September as Enfield faded away, losing their last three games of the month. They have now been overtaken by Isleworth in the race to finish second, as the brewery workers won four out of five in September, falling only narrowly 3-2 to Edmonton. Sanderson’s Weir look set to be the first champions of the Sheffield and District League, after they defeated long-time leaders Doncaster twice on the first weekend in September to take a two game lead. Weir actually lost both of their remaining games in the month, but Doncaster lost all three of theirs to fall even further behind, and indeed have now lost six in succession. Sheffield Philadelphia defeated both Doncaster and Weir to move into a tie for second place, but that run seems to have come too late as Weir will be champions with one win from their three remaining games. The destination of the first championship in the Glasgow and District League is impossible to predict, after Lanark-Renfrew stumbled to defeat in all four of their games in September. That should have opened up an opportunity for Burgh of Partick but they were only able to win two games out of four, while Dundashill’s defeat to Partick keeps them one game behind. Surprise contenders are now Tollcross, who have never been in the race this year but who won all three of their games including wins over Partick and Lanark-Renfrew. They now sit just a fraction behind the leaders, tied for second with Partick, with Dundashill one back in fourth place. In news ahead of the 1873 season, there will be at least two new leagues to follow again next year. One of these will be the first competition in the Midlands, with the Birmingham and District League set to feature eight teams from that city and the surrounding area. Following on from the new Middlesex County League this year, there will be an equivalent competition in Kent next season and that too seems set to feature eight teams. There may be another league in Scotland as well, centred on Edinburgh, but it is rumoured that the city's leading clubs are struggling to find enough members to make a viable competition.

10-29-2021, 07:23 PM	#125
as5680 All Star Starter Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: Didcot, England Posts: 1,426	MONTHLY ROUND-UP: OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 1872 Greenwich Meridian are the new champions of the Metropolitan League after an eleven game winning run saw them depose last year’s champions the Old Westminsters. Greenwich entered October with a chance to clinch the title if they won their next game and the Westminsters lost theirs, but the postponement of the Westminsters’ game meant that Greenwich’s win over the Royal Artillery Barracks was not quite enough. A week later, it was Greenwich whose game was called off but in the event that did not leave them waiting any longer for confirmation of the title, as the Westminsters were beaten at home by Peckham to bring an end to their reign. With the championship secure, Greenwich went on to lose their final two games but still ended with a two game cushion over the Westminsters in the standings. The Regent’s Park ended two games further back in third, while Hackney secured a winning record with victory in their final game against Angel, a great achievement from a team who won only nine games last year. Tied for last were Clapham and two-time winners the Royal Artillery, who both suffered very poor finishes to their campaigns. Salford headed into October knowing the a win in any one of their final four games would regain the title they had won two years ago, but in the event they won all four to end the season on a remarkable thirteen-game winning run. It was an 8-2 success over Bury in the first week of October which secured the championship, and Salford wet on to end the year with two victories over last year’s champions Irwell. Those defeats denied Irwell second place as they finished a game behind an Oldham team who themselves lost their last three, while wins in their final two games earned newcomers Bury a highly respectable share of third place. The other new team, Miles Platting, lost their last two to drop down to a losing record for the year, while two wins to end the year took Moss Grove away from last position, leaving Stockport there alone. Bradford Beck have succeeded neighbours Bowling as champions of the Leeds and Bradford League, after a 3-1 victory over Wakefield in their final game of the season. Entering the game trailing in the standings, Wakefield needed a victory to force an extra game but gave up two runs in the first inning and were never able to get back onto level terms. The defeat was their third in succession to end the year, a run which cost them a championship which had looked likely earlier in the season. Outgoing champions Bowling also lost their last three to finish a game further back in third. The form team at the end of the season was Woodhouse Lane, winners of their final five to grab an even record alongside neighbours Leeds, while Huddersfield’s awful year ended with just seven wins, leaving them six games adrift in last place. Liverpool St Patrick’s have completed a successful defence of the Liverpool and District League championship, but they were pushed all the way by Great Float. Entering October level with two games each to play, first Liverpool and then Great Float recorded victories over Linacre, setting up what should have been a dramatic final day with both teams fighting for the title in their respective games. As it turned out, Great Float’s game with Toxteth was postponed, meaning that the race could not end on that day. Liverpool defeated St Helens 3-0, which left Great Float needing to match the victory in their rearranged game a week later for force a tiebreaking game. Having won their previous ten games they were clear favourites, but Toxteth score two in the first and were never caught, taking the game 3-0 and handing the championship to their city rivals. It wasn’t enough to avoid a losing record as Toxteth finished fourth, a game behind Linacre, while Sankey Brook won their final three games to drag St Helens down into a share of last place. St Helens, so close to the championship last year, lost their final five in what turned out to be a dreadful season. With Edmonton Green already having won the championship, there was little to play for in the Middlesex County League in the final weeks of the season, but Isleworth were able to hold off Enfield to claim second place. Both teams won two of their three games in October, which left Isleworth a game ahead as Enfield finished on an even fifteen wins and fifteen losses. As for the champions, Edmonton did lose their final game 8-6 at Ealing, but were still five games ahead of anybody else in the final standings. The other real story of the year was the decline of the Old Harrovians, who won their first five games but then took only five more in the rest of the campaign. By the twenty-game mark they had fallen to an even ten wins and ten losses, only to lose every game for the rest of the season and end the year four adrift in last place. Victory at Barnsley in their first game of October would have given Sanderson’s Weir the inaugural Sheffield and District League championship, however they were defeated 4-0 and saw both Sheffield and Doncaster win to extend the race by another week. Their next game against Doncaster provided another chance to secure the crown and in a hard fought battle, Weir came out with a 2-1 victory meaning that the title was theirs. With Sheffield defeating Barnsley on the same day, Doncaster’s loss denied them even a share of second place in the final standings. Everyone else had a losing record, with Holmes Tail winning only eight of their thirty game to finish comfortably in last position. The first league season ever to be played in Scotland has gone the way of Lanark-Renfrew Border, who are the champions of the Glasgow and District League. Their 9-4 win over Dundashill to open October put them in a dominant position in the standings, only for an extra-innings defeat at Burgh of Partick a week later to bring everything into question again. That defeat meant that Lanark-Renfrew had to win their final game against Govan to secure the title, knowing that defeat would have certainly meant a tiebreaker with Partick, and possibly a three-way tie if Dundashill won their last game. They did indeed do so, 5-2 at Tollcross, leaving everything resting on the game at Govan. Lanark-Renfrew trailed 1-0 heading to the eighth inning, but scored one there to tie it and snatched two more in the ninth to move ahead. Govan had no reply and a 3-1 victory handed Lanark-Renfrew the title by one game after a very close battle. Indeed, five of the six teams were split by only three games, with Govan two adrift in last place. We now move into the close season, with all the leagues soon to hand out their awards for this year and begin preparations for the 1873 campaign. There are no changes imminent in any of the established leagues, but with expansion of the County Championship looking a certainty and at least two new leagues to follow, the new year looks set to be a very exciting one.

10-30-2021, 05:23 PM	#126
as5680 All Star Starter Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: Didcot, England Posts: 1,426	END OF SEASON REVIEW: 1872 Having eased to their first Metropolitan League championship, it was no surprise that the league's awards this year were dominated by Greenwich Meridian. Outfielder Timothy Berry's powerful and consistent hitting earned him the Best Player award, to the misfortune of Jim White of The Regent's Park, who only finished second in the voting despite having the highest batting average in England at .370. Jesse Pennyfather was a near unanimous choice for Best Pitcher, denying Daniel Armstrong of the Old Westminsters a third success. To complete the set, Harold Davies was named as Best Manager after inspiring the team's achievements this year. The champions earned a clean sweep of awards in the Manchester and District League as well, with Salford's Harry Palmer narrowly defeating his team-mates Christopher Frost and Edwin Weir to win the Best Player trophy. Such was Salford's dominance of the league, any one of those three players would have been a worthy winner of the award. Having struck out more than 200 opposing batters, Henry Barton was the clear choice for Best Pitcher, while Josiah Frost took the managerial honour for the second time in three seasons. Bowling Old Lane may have lost their title in the Leeds and Bradford League, but outfielder Samuel Gurney's five home runs earned him this year's Best Player award, as no player from champions Bradford even featured among the leading three in voting. Bradford's Maurice Walker came close to taking the Best Pitcher award, but was narrowly defeated by Halifax man John Kelly, who had proved slightly tougher to score against throughout the year. Champions Bradford did take the Best Manager award, which went to Frederick Jones. Having led the league in batting average for the second time, Samuel Moynihan of Liverpool St Patrick's was named Best Player in the Liverpool and District League for the second successive year. Champions Liverpool missed out on the Best Pitcher title, which as last year went to Jesse Davidson of Great Float. The award will surely be little consolation for Great Float losing out on the chance of a tiebreaker for the championship having lost their final game of the season. Liverpool manager Alfred Hancock must wonder what he has to do to win the Best Manager award, as he missed out for a second successive year despite winning a second league championship. The votes went to Michael Blundell of runners-up Great Float. Champions Edmonton earned a clean sweep of the awards in the Middlesex County League, with first baseman Daniel Swaffer as Best Player and Jim Aldridge, who led the league in every major statistic, an easy choice for Best Pitcher. Edward West took the Best Manager honour. In the Sheffield and District League, votes for Best Player favoured the powerful hitting of Barnsley's Enoch Leach ahead of men with better averages, while Martin Landeck of Sheffield narrowly took Best Pitcher ahead of Doncaster's Mark Guiney. Champions Sanderson's Weir only took Best Manager, which went to Henry Foreman. The first awards in Scotland saw the Best Player title go to the last placed team in the league, as Govan's Kenneth Robertson was rewarded for having comfortably the highest average in the competiton. The 203 men struck out by Burgh of Partick's Francis Fullalove saw him take the Best Pitcher award, while Dundashill's Christopher Thomson was named Best Manager. That meant that remarkably, champions Lanark-Renfrew took none of the individual prizes despite finishing at the top of the standings. Once again baseball observers have attempted to compare the champions of the various leagues and suggest who may be the strongest team of all, and this year the consensus is that Leeds & Bradford League winners Bradford Beck look to be the finest team in England, indeed in the whole of Great Britain. Those in London still consider the Metropolitan League to be the finest competition, but champions Greenwich were rated below not only Bradford, but also Liverpool and Edmonton. Salford may have dominated the Manchester and District League, but would be shocked to know that they were rated by many as the weakest of the champions this year. As for the 1873 season, the new competition in Scotland has finally been confirmed, with the East of Scotland League set to feature several of Edinburgh's leading clubs next year. With the Birmingham & District and Kent County leagues getting underway in England, there will now be ten leagues running as well as the university competitions and the County Championship, as the game continues to spread in popularity. 1872 ROLL OF HONOUR Metropolitan League: Greenwich Meridian (1st title) Manchester and District League: Salford Seedley (2nd title) Leeds and Bradford League: Bradford Beck (1st title) Liverpool and District League: Liverpool St Patrick’s (2nd title) Middlesex County League: Edmonton Green (1st title) Sheffield and District League: Sanderson's Weir (1st title) Glasgow and District League: Lanark-Renfrew Border (1st title) Oxford University Championship: Trinity College (3rd title) Cambridge University Championship: Jesus College (2nd title) County Championship: Middlesex (3rd title) Varsity Series: University of Oxford (2nd title)

11-04-2021, 07:18 PM	#128
as5680 All Star Starter Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: Didcot, England Posts: 1,426	NEW LEAGUE: BIRMINGHAM AND DISTRICT LEAGUE The eight-team Birmingham and District League is the first to be formed in central England. It has decided to use a thirty-four game schedule with six weeks of double games in the middle of the year, as clubs have been separated into two geographical groups for scheduling purposes. Teams will play the others in their group six times and the teams in the other group four times, with all the double games coming against group rivals. The groups will not be counted separately in the standings, with all eight teams still being listed together. The so-called ‘Birmingham Group’ features Aston Manor, from out of Birmingham to the north, who play in unique halved jerseys of brown and yellow. From the west of the city are Birmingham Main Line, named after the canal alongside which they play. Their jerseys are blue-green in colour. From the southern suburbs are Edgbaston Rea, who play alongside the River Rea and wear red jerseys with gold stripes. From the very eastern edge of Birmingham, Small Heath Armoury are the works team of the Birmingham Small Arms Company’s armoury and they play just across the railway line from the factory itself, wearing dark blue jerseys with orange and white stripes. The ‘Black Country Group’ takes its name from the area where the industrial landscape has become stained by soot. It features Dudley Castle, who play on a field in the shadow of that landmark and wear sand coloured jerseys with an elaborate silhouette of the castle embroidered on the chest. The Old Wulfrunians are the old boys’ team of Wolverhampton Grammar School, playing in school colours of red, black and white. Walsall Chuckery take their unusual name from the area of their home field, formerly used for housing chickens, and play in orange and yellow. West Bromwich Trinity were formed by members of Trinity Church and play on a field near to the church building, on the eastern edge of the town. LOGOS AND UNIFORMS: Top Row (L-R): Aston Manor, Birmingham Main Line, Dudley Castle, Edgbaston Rea Bottom Row (L-R): Old Wulfrunians, Small Heath Armoury, Walsall Chuckery, West Bromwich Trinity MAP OF TEAM LOCATIONS:

11-05-2021, 10:47 AM	#129
as5680 All Star Starter Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: Didcot, England Posts: 1,426	NEW LEAGUE: KENT COUNTY LEAGUE The Kent County League features eight teams from the western half of that county, much to the disappointment of aspiring clubs from the east, who let it be known that they expect to gain some representation in the competition when the time comes for new teams to be admitted. The format of the league is the same as the Leeds and Bradford League, with eight teams playing the other seven four times each for a twenty-eight game schedule. The league begins just outside the suburbs of the Metropolis with Bexley Heath, who play on the Dover Road in orange jerseys with grey trimmings. Bromley White Hart are named after the White Hart Hotel, behind which their home field is located. Their jerseys are light green with a white hart embroidered on the chest. Dartford Brent play on the area of common ground of that name, wearing bright red jerseys. From alongside the River Thames, Erith Pier wear sea green jerseys with brown stripes. A little further along the river are Gravesend Reach, whose jerseys are black with the club initials embroidered in red. From the heart of the county, Maidstone Queen Anne are named after a nearby road and inn, as well as the monarch of that name. Their colours of yellow, red and blue are taken from the royal coat of arms. Rochester Riverbank are, as their name suggests, based alongside the River Medway and play in blue jerseys with silver trim. Finally, the Royal Engineers have entered a team to be based alongside their barracks at Brompton near Chatham, playing in blue and red stripes with a white chest panel featuring their initials in blue. LOGOS AND UNIFORMS: Top Row (L-R): Bexley Heath, Bromley White Hart, Dartford Brent, Erith Pier Bottom Row (L-R): Gravesend Reach, Maidstone Queen Anne, Rochester Riverbank, Royal Engineers MAP OF TEAM LOCATIONS:

11-06-2021, 04:07 AM	#130
as5680 All Star Starter Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: Didcot, England Posts: 1,426	NEW LEAGUE: EAST OF SCOTLAND LEAGUE The East of Scotland League nearly did not come about at all, as the four Edinburgh-based clubs struggled to find two more to make up their numbers. First, they invited Kirkcaldy Lang Toun, from across the Firth of Forth in the Kingdom of Fife. They were pleased to accept on the condition that a second Fife team also be admitted, to reduce the burden of travelling across the river by train and ferry for each away game. The only suitable candidate was Dunfermline Canmore, but the Edinburgh clubs were reluctant to admit them owing to poor rail links. They instead wished to invite a team from Stirling, but Kirkcaldy made it known that should this happen, they would not enter the competition after all. A team from Falkirk were then approached but having only recently been formed, wished to remain a social club rather than a league team for the time being. With Stirling unwilling to be part of just a five-team league and Kirkcaldy refusing to join unless Dunfermline were admitted, the Edinburgh clubs were faced with the prospect of a four-team competition which they felt was not viable, and so reluctantly agreed to invite Dunfermline to take part. Like other six-team leagues, teams will meet one another six times for a thirty game schedule. After all this discussion, the make up of the new league will be as follows – from Edinburgh come Arthur’s Seat, named after the extinct volcanic hill to the east of the city in whose shadow they play. Their jerseys are red with a royal crown embroidered on the chest. From the west of the city are Haymarket Caledonian, the works team of the Caledonian Brewery which lies alongside Haymarket station, who play in pale beige and grey. To the north of the city centre are The Grange, from the cricket ground of that name. Their jerseys are salmon pink. Just outside Edinburgh are Leith Hawkhill, who play at the Hawkhill Brick Works and wear light blue jerseys with a silhouette of a hawk. From the Kingdom of Fife are Kirkcaldy Lang Toun, whose name reflects the town’s nickname and who wear maroon jerseys with blue stripes. Named after the nickname of the king who established an abbey there centuries ago, Dunfermline Canmore play in dark blue with thin white stripes and green trimmings. LOGOS AND UNIFORMS: Top Row (L-R): Arthur's Seat, Dunfermline Canmore, The Grange Bottom Row (L-R): Haymarket Caledonian, Kirkcaldy Lang Toun, Leith Hawkhill MAP OF TEAM LOCATIONS:

11-06-2021, 05:30 PM	#131
as5680 All Star Starter Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: Didcot, England Posts: 1,426	TOURNAMENT REVIEW: 1873 COUNTY CHAMPIONSHIP The first six-team County Championship provided no shortage of dramatic play as Lancashire and Yorkshire made their debuts in the competition. Having both agreed to play their games in the new quarter-final round away from home, Lancashire travelled to Essex while Yorkshire visited Kent as the new season got underway. Lancashire made a fine start to their game, with Rochdale’s Bernard Greenwood providing a home run in the first inning, while pitcher Jesse Davidson of Great Float was in fine form. Essex were able to find only two hits in the first four innings, before a base hit from Oldham’s Nathaniel May brought home another run to extend Lancashire’s lead to 2-0. That lead held into the sixth inning, but at that point the game began to fall apart for the newcomers. Two successive hits gave Essex a scoring chance with one man out, before catcher Greenwood undid some of his earlier good work as a throwing error allowed one run to score. A hit from Greenwich’s Roland Lloyd then brought home his teammate Timothy Berry to tie the game at 2-2, before Hackney’s John Fraser found a two-base hit to bring Lloyd around to score and move Essex into the lead. Davidson continued to struggle in the seventh inning, allowing hits to three of the first four batters as Essex put three baserunners on with one out. It was Timothy Berry, winner of the Metropolitan League’s Best Player award as Greenwich took the championship last year, who then turned the game entirely in Essex’s favour as his three-base hit brought in all three runners and extended the lead to 6-2. Another fielding error from Lancashire then allowed Berry himself to score, giving Essex a strong 7-2 advantage with two innings to play. Lancashire were able to get one runner on base in both the eighth and the ninth innings, but could do no more than that against pitcher Stephen Young, a newcomer to the Metropolitan League with The Regent’s Park this year. He successfully negotiated the remainder of the game, taking Essex through to a semi-final meeting with Surrey. The second semi-final saw Yorkshire travel to face a Kent team who were featuring several players from the newly formed county league, including pitcher Isaac Huntley of Maidstone. He quickly found himself in a hard-fought duel with Sheffield’s Martin Landeck, who was pitching for Yorkshire. Landeck allowed just one base runner in the first four innings, before allowing single base hits in the fifth, the seventh and the eighth. Kent could not score however, coming the closest in the seventh when Peter Sawyer, a newcome with Angel this year, was out at home plate when trying to score on a ball caught in the outfield. While Landeck was pitching well however, Huntley was untouchable, preventing any Yorkshire batter from reaching base through the first eight innings. It seemed that a Kent win was inevitable given that Yorkshire had not had a baserunner at all in the game, but that changed in the ninth inning as Bradford’s Allan Bessemer recorded a two-base hit to end Huntley’s remarkable run. Bessemer was moved up to third base on a ground ball for the first out but remained there with two out, leaving Yorkshire needing another hit. Bowling’s Samuel Gurney was the man to provide it, bringing home Bessemer to move the newcomers ahead 1-0. Consecutive hits with one out saw Kent threaten a comeback in their half of the ninth inning, but Isaac Whetter of the City of London Club hit a ground ball which allowed Yorkshire to record both the outs they needed and advance to the semi-finals in their first championship, where they were to meet reigning champions Middlesex. The semi-final between Essex and Surrey provided another battle between the pitchers, with Stephen Young of The Regent’s Park facing Daniel Armstrong of the Old Westminsters. Essex’s Young made a slow start, allowing hits to the first three men he faced before lead-off man Ralph Parker of the Regents came in to score on a ground ball hit by the Westminsters’ Harold Simpson. Surrey had a 1-0 lead and with Armstrong not allowing a hit until the fifth inning, it appeared that the single score may be good enough. Later in the fifth, Hackney’s David Watson got to first for Surrey before advancing to second on sacrifice, then with two men out an error in the infield allowed Watson to come home and extend the lead to 2-0. Desperate for a chance to score, the moment arrived for Essex in the seventh inning. Armstrong allowed three successive hits to start the inning, but Hackney man John Fraser could not bring the runners home, hitting a ground ball which was thrown to home to prevent a run from scoring. A strikeout and then a routine high ball provided the remaining out, meaning that Essex had not taken advantage of having three baserunners with nobody out. In the eighth Armstrong again allowed two runners to reach base, leading to him being removed from the game and replaced by Martin Hayne of Hackney. Hayne successfully negotiated the remainder of the eighth and despite beginning by allowing a hit, got through the ninth to carry Surrey through to the final for the third successive year. Yorkshire went into the second semi-final against champions Middlesex looking to reach the final at the first time of asking, and the newcomers made a strong start. Bowling’s Samuel Gurney, who drove in the only run of their quarter-final against Kent, recorded a hit to start the game and having advanced to second, scored the first run of the game on a hit from Huddersfield’s Isaac Daley. Gurney then added another with a home run in the third and Yorkshire looked to be in control of the game, but pitcher Martin Landeck struggled as Middlesex came to bat in their half of the third inning. Three of the first four batters recorded hits, but when Landeck retired Kensington’s Alexander Mitford for the second out, he looked set to escape the inning with little damage. However, four successive hits from Middlesex batters brought in five runs to turn the game on its head, with the champions now leading 5-2. With Edmonton pitcher Jim Aldridge in fine form, Yorkshire looked to be in trouble but revived their hopes in the sixth inning, as Gurney again recorded a hit to begin the inning and having again advanced to second base, came home on a ground ball from Bradford’s Maurice Dodd to reduce the deficit to 5-3. In the eighth inning, it was Dodd again who was involved as with two men on and one out, he recorded a hit which brought Wakefield’s Arthur Stone home from third base to bring Yorkshire within a single run. Aldridge recovered to record the next two outs however, and Yorkshire’s chance slipped away. They could not get a runner on base in the ninth as Aldridge rediscovered his form, earning Middlesex a 5-4 victory and a place in the final again, where they would battle for a fourth successive championship. For the third successive year, the final of the County Championship saw Middlesex and Surrey face one another, with champions Middlesex having home advantage after calling the coin toss correctly. Seeking a fourth successive title and a third successive win over Surrey, they found themselves in another close battle of in-form pitchers as nobody could score through the first five innings. Both teams had left men at third base in the second inning, but that was as close as either came to a run until Middlesex came to bat in the sixth. John Pinhay of the Royal Artillery Barracks started the inning with a two-base hit, and when Kensington’s John Goodwin followed that with a hit of his own, Pinhay was able to score from second base and give Middlesex a 1-0 lead. When pitcher Jim Aldridge successfully negotiated the seventh, time was beginning to run out for Surrey as they faced another final defeat. In the eighth, it was Surrey pitcher Daniel Armstrong who started off with a hit of his own, before a sacrifice and then another hit from Arthur Holmes of The Regent’s Park moved him to third with one out. At that point, Aldridge faltered as a wild pitch escaped catcher Matthew Vanstone and allowed his Old Westminsters’ teammate Armstrong to come home and level the game at 1-1. Middlesex did not score in their half of the eighth and another Westminsters man, Harold Simpson, began the ninth with a two-base hit for Surrey to increase the pressure on the reigning champions. They could not cope as two errors, one in the outfield and one from pitcher Armstrong, brought Simpson around to score and give Surrey a 2-1 advantage. In the Middlesex half of the ninth, there was further drama when a delay of almost 40 minutes for rain threatened to damage Surrey’s attempts to clinch the crown. Pitcher Armstrong retained his composure however, completing the inning without allowing a runner to end Middlesex’s reign as champions and give Surrey a second championship, six years after winning the inaugural competition. For his efforts, Armstrong was named as the competition’s Best Pitcher for this year. The Best Player award went to Yorkshire’s Samuel Gurney, who recorded four hits in his two games and scored three of Yorkshire’s five runs himself. With the championship now over, attention turns to the league season as the Metropolitan and Manchester & District Leagues begin their new season next week, as do both Oxford and Cambridge Universities. It is also opening day in Scotland next week, with Lanark-Renfrew defending their Glasgow & District League crown and the new East of Scotland League getting underway. Those leagues had been set to start a week later but with the Glasgow competition eager to avoid a repeat of last season’s late finish, they have brought forward the schedule by a week. The new competition in the east then took the decision to do likewise, as they wished to run alongside the already established league.

11-16-2021, 06:09 PM	#132
as5680 All Star Starter Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: Didcot, England Posts: 1,426	MONTHLY ROUND-UP: MARCH 1873 The league season is now underway across England and Scotland, with the Metropolitan League having seen a very even start to the campaign. Champions Greenwich, expected by many to be edged out by either Angel, the Old Westminsters or The Regent’s Park this year, are one of six teams who have started with two wins from three games. The other three expected championship contenders are also in that group, along with Clapham and the Royal Artillery Barracks. Most observers expect Kensington to finish last this year, and they have lived up to that expectation thus far as they are the only team yet to win a game. Salford and Irwell have won all three titles in the Manchester and District League between them and they are the two favourites this year, with Miles Platting also expected to go close in their second season. However, while Salford and Miles Platting have started with two wins from their three games, Irwell have made an awful start to the season and sit in last place, the only team to lose all three so far. Leading the way are Bury and Rochdale, both of whom have won three out of three. Elsewhere in the north-west, Liverpool St Patrick’s are clear favourites to win a third successive championship in the Liverpool and District League and they have won both their games, as have Linacre. Linacre are expected to battle with last year’s runners-up Great Float for second place, but neither is thought to have a strong enough team to overthrow the champions. In Yorkshire, many people see Woodhouse Lane as strong contenders to overcome both Bradford clubs and take the Leeds and Bradford League title this year. Teams have only played one game so far, but Woodhouse did start with a victory, as did both Bowling and champions Bradford. Hunslet were the other team to win on the opening day. In the Sheffield and District League, champions Sanderson’s Weir are backed to do well again, most likely with Sheffield and Barnsley as their leading competitors. Both of those teams have lost twice so far however, with Weir winning both of their games. Hallamshire and Doncaster have both also opened up with two victories. Elsewhere in England, Edmonton are widely expected to defend their Middlesex County League title successfully, but they have only one win and one loss from their two games so far. The only undefeated team in that league are Isleworth, who sit at the top with two wins from two games. In the two new leagues in England, only one round of games has been played. Favourites for the Birmingham and District League’s inaugural title are Aston and Birmingham, but while Aston won their opening game Birmingham saw theirs postponed, and so are yet to take to the field. Dudley and West Bromwich were the other winners on the first day. In the Kent County League, Dartford are clear favourites to be the first champions and they were one of three winners on opening day, alongside Rochester and the Royal Engineers. Erith and Gravesend’s meeting was postponed. Up in Scotland, champions Lanark-Renfrew are narrow favourites to retain the Glasgow and District League, but Burgh of Partick and Dundashill are expected to chase hard in what looks a very evenly matched competition. The champions have indeed won their first two games, with one postponement, and are the only undefeated team at the end of March. Partick have had an unexpectedly poor start, losing all three of their games. In the new East of Scotland League, it is also expected to be a tight battle but Dunfermline are seen by many as the slight favourites. They too however have made a poor start, losing their first three. It is The Grange who have started best of all with three wins, followed by Leith and Arthur’s Seat who have won two out of three. At the universities, Oxford champions Trinity College are recovering after a poor start, winning their last two, but with six games played Balliol are two games clear at the top of the standings, having won all six so far. Many people were expecting them to finish last, making their strong start a real surprise, while pre-season favourites Wadham and Brasenose have both had just one win, three defeats and two postponements up to now. King’s College, who lost a tiebreaker to Jesus College last year, are the favourites to win in Cambridge this year, and they are one of four teams tied at the top of the standings on four wins and two defeats. Jesus College are in another four-way tie just a game back, as eight of the ten teams are split by just a single game heading into April.

11-16-2021, 06:10 PM	#133
as5680 All Star Starter Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: Didcot, England Posts: 1,426	MONTHLY ROUND-UP: APRIL 1873 Angel Islington are looking good in the Metropolitan League as we reach the end of April, having won all four of their games including an impressive win over champions Greenwich. Greenwich have fallen off the pace after winning just one from three in April, with the Old Westminsters moving up into second place as surprise early pace-setters Clapham begin to fall away. Only two teams in the whole country remains undefeated, and one is Manchester & District League leaders Rochdale who have won all six of their games. They ended the month with a dramatic extra-innings success at a Bury team who themselves won the first five but have now lost two in succession. That result allowed champions Salford to move level with Bury in second place, after they lost ground with a defeat to Irwell a week earlier. After losing their first game, Leeds Central won all four in April to edge clear at the top of the Leeds and Bradford League. Champions Bradford might have been level but for a postponement which leaves them fractionally behind. Liverpool St Patrick’s ended the month with a postponement as well but still lead the standings by the smallest margin in the Liverpool and District League. Victory for St Helens over Linacre in the final game in April leaves those two teams tied for second, just behind Liverpool. The reigning champions are also looking good in the Sheffield and District League, Sanderson’s Weir won three out of four during the month. Having beaten Weir, second placed Doncaster went on to lose at lowly Barnsley and with their next game postponed they sit a fraction behind in second place. Middlesex County League champions Edmonton are struggling, playing just two games in a rain-affected month but losing both to sit narrowly ahead of last place. Isleworth lead the way but defeat to Ealing leaves them ahead by the smallest margin, with Ealing having won all three in April to move into second place. In the Kent County League, Bexley Heath have won their last three after starting with a loss, and they share first place with Gravesend. Early leaders Dartford and the Royal Engineers both ended the month poorly, with two successive defeats. In the Midlands, Birmingham Main Line stand undefeated in first place having won all four so far, including a month-ending 5-0 victory of Dudley which ended Dudley’s own undefeated start. Highly fancied Aston Manor are struggling for runs and lost their last three games in April, falling into the lower half of the standings. In Scotland, the Glasgow and District League looks very close this year as every team is within a game of each other. Tollcross are the in-form team, winning their last three having opened up with three defeats, but it is Dundashill and Govan who actually share first place. In the east, Arthur’s Seat won all four in April to move a game clear of The Grange in the East of Scotland League. Leith appear to be moving back towards the rest of the chasing pack as they have lost their last two. At the Universities, Clare lead the way by two games in Cambridge but could have been further ahead. They were beaten by second-placed Trinity during April, just a part of Trinity’s five game winning run. Champions Jesus College have a losing record and don’t seem to be contenders this year. At Oxford, Balliol have a three-game lead over New College, again having lost to their nearest chasers during the month. Balliol actually won their first twelve games, the same total of wins as they managed in the whole of last season. The biggest shock is that champions Trinity, who have taken three successive titles, lost every game in April and sit two adrift in last place, having lost ten successive games altogether.

11-16-2021, 06:11 PM	#134
as5680 All Star Starter Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: Didcot, England Posts: 1,426	MONTHLY ROUND-UP: MAY 1873 This year’s Metropolitan League championship race looks as though it may be between the winners of the last two titles, as the Old Westminsters and Greenwich both completed undefeated months in May. The Westminsters have the advantage at the moment, especially having played and won one extra game in the month, but reigning champions Greenwich have found their form. The highlight of their month was a 9-4 victory over early-season leaders Angel, who lost four out of five in May and are in danger of falling out of contention. In the Manchester and District League, the final undefeated record across baseball was ended at the tenth attempt when leaders Rochdale fell 3-0 at Oldham, but they have still won ten out of eleven so far this year and continue to lead the way. Reigning champions Salford looking dangerous though, as having lost to Miles Platting in their first game in May, they won the remaining four to move clear in second place. Liverpool St Patrick’s still look tough to beat in the Liverpool and District League, winning their last four games of the month for the concession of only a single run. Great Float, who came so close a year ago, have moved into second place but St Helens have dropped well off the pace, losing their last four including a heavy 6-0 defeat to Liverpool. The Leeds and Bradford League sees all eight teams realistically still involved in the race, as only two games separate Wakefield in last place from co-leaders Leeds and Bradford. Both of the leaders lost twice in May to keep them close to the chasing pack, while nobody has been able to show any consistent form so far this season. Elsewhere in Yorkshire, the Sheffield and District League race is between Doncaster and reigning champions Sanderson’s Weir, with Weir looking as though they were going to pull clear when they defeated Doncaster midway through the month. A narrow extra-innings loss to Hallamshire and a heavy defeat at Barnsley followed however, and Doncaster won both of their next two games to end the month fractionally ahead. There appears to be no race to speak of this year in the Middlesex County League, as Isleworth won every game in May and have now won six in succession and nine out of ten this year. They have a comfortable lead over Ealing and Tottenham, with the other story being the appearance in last place of reigning champions Edmonton who lost three of their four games this month. In the Kent County League, the form team are Rochester who won their last four games in May, ending with a stunning 17-3 victory over struggling Erith. That was enough to leave them fractionally ahead of Bexley Heath, who had opened the month by defeating Rochester but could only win two of their other four games. The race is very close in the Birmingham and District League, with early leaders Dudley regaining their form and Small Heath and Birmingham both faltering late in May. Those three teams are tied at the top alongside Walsall, while Edgbaston and Aston are both within two games of the lead as well. Just two games separate all six teams in the Glasgow and District League, as champions Lanark-Renfrew ended the month by losing twice in a day against a Tollcross team who had been in last place that morning. Partick and White Cart lead the way currently, but there appears to be very little between any of the teams. In the East of Scotland League, it looks to be a battle between Arthur’s Seat and The Grange for the inaugural title. Arthur’s Seat had begun the month with two successive losses but edged to a vital 2-1 victory over The Grange which leaves them fractionally ahead moving into June. The University season has reached the three-quarter mark and things look good for Clare College at Cambridge, and for Balliol at Oxford. Clare had seen their advantage over Trinity cut to a single game but their rivals then proceeded to lose their last two games of the month by a combined margin of 20-2, allowing Clare to extend their lead to three games by winning their last two. At Oxford, long-time leaders Balliol suffered a heavy loss at outgoing champions Trinity to extend their poor run to six defeats in eight ahead of a vital meeting with second placed Wadham, where another loss would have seen them slip out of the top position. They regained focus however and recorded a 3-0 victory, extending their lead further in the final game of May when they defeated Merton and Wadham were beaten by New College, falling below their opponents into third place as a result.

11-16-2021, 06:12 PM	#135
as5680 All Star Starter Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: Didcot, England Posts: 1,426	MONTHLY ROUND-UP: JUNE 1873 The Old Westminsters end the month of June still in first place in the Metropolitan League but their advantage is just the smallest fraction after a mixed month which brought three convincing wins and three narrow defeats. Champions Greenwich won four of their six games to edge a little closer, while Angel did likewise to hold on to their hopes of catching up to the leaders. The Royal Artillery Barracks, who finished last a year ago, have joined Angel in a tie for third after winning five of their six games in June, including sharing two in a day against the Westminsters. Despite losing twice in the month, Rochdale have extended their lead in the Manchester and District League to three games after champions Salford won just two and lost three of their five. Two defeats in a day against Miles Platting severely damaged their chances, while at the same time bringing Miles Platting into the race as they end June tied with Salford for second. In the Liverpool and District League, Liverpool St Patrick’s hold a one game advantage after winning two and losing two in June. Linacre have taken over as their closest challengers, winning three of four including a very impressive 7-1 victory over the champions. In Yorkshire, champions Bradford lead the Leeds and Bradford League by a fraction after ending the month with two very narrow victories. They take over from Leeds and Hunslet, who had shared first place until both were beaten in their final game of June. Huddersfield and Halifax, who inflicted those defeats, are now just one game behind first place themselves. All five teams in fact have seven victories to their name, being separated only by their number of defeats having played differing amounts of games. In the Sheffield and District League, Doncaster endured a poor month, losing three of their four games, but retain first place as champions Sanderson’s Weir did likewise. The beneficiaries were in-form Hallamshire, who defeated both to move level with Weir in second place, and Barnsley, winners of all four of their games in the month and five in succession overall. It was a mixed month for Middlesex County League leaders Isleworth, who won two and lost two, but they still hold a comfortable lead over Tottenham and Ealing. It was those two teams who defeated Isleworth in June however, showing that the race is far from over. Champions Edmonton sit well adrift in last place having now lost their last six in what is becoming a remarkably poor title defence. In Kent, Rochester have now won their last seven games after an undefeated month, the most significant result being the 2-0 win over second-placed Bexley Heath, which extended their advantage. At the half-way point, it is beginning to look as though one of those two teams will be the first champions. In the Birmingham and District League, Walsall and Small Heath have fallen away a little after a poor end to the month, leaving three contenders clear at the top. Edgbaston share second place with Dudley, who responded to a shock double-defeat against the struggling Old Wulfrunians by ending the month with a double victory against Walsall. They sit a game behind leaders Birmingham Main Line, who having lost two in a day against Edgbaston recovered to take their next four games and move clear in first place. In Scotland, Burgh of Partick have emerged as clear leaders of the Glasgow and District League after winning every game in June. Indeed, having lost their first three this season, they have now taken eleven of the next thirteen and opened up a three-game advantage. Champions Lanark-Renfrew sit second but can only boast an even record, with the rest of the league close behind them. The Grange have taken over as leaders of the East of Scotland League, having recovered from a 4-2 deficit to edge out Arthur’s Seat 5-4 in fourteen innings when the two met. They won three of four in all, while Arthur’s Seat could only manage one win and two defeats from three games to fall one back in the standings. Barring a few rearranged games, the university season is now over and there are new champions at both Oxford and Cambridge. In Oxford, Balliol looked to have hit poor form at the worst possible time when they were beaten by second-placed Wadham, before losing their next game to Merton and allowing Wadham to join them in a share of first place. They recovered to win both of their remaining games however, while it was Wadham who then faltered, losing their next two to render their outstanding fixtures meaningless. Balliol, who won their first twelve and then just twelve more from the remaining twenty-four, take the title for the first time. At Cambridge, it was a very mixed month for long-time leaders Clare who lost five of their nine games, including two in succession where victory would have secured the crown. However, chasers Trinity lost five of ten themselves and when they were beaten 1-0 by Queen’s, they could no longer catch up and it was Clare who took their first title. Defeat in their final game may even have cost Trinity second place, depending on the results of rearranged games. Attention will now turn to the Varsity Series next week, with Oxford defending the title they won a year ago. It is the turn of Cambridge to host the first game this year, with the second and Oxford and the venue for the third being decided by a coin toss should it be necessary.

11-16-2021, 06:13 PM	#136
as5680 All Star Starter Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: Didcot, England Posts: 1,426	TOURNAMENT REVIEW: 1873 VARSITY SERIES In the fifth year of the Varsity Series, the University of Cambridge have edged ahead by three series victories to two after recording a two-game victory over Oxford. Both of Cambridge’s previous triumphs had required a deciding third game, but that was not needed on this occasion as they took the honours in style. In the first game, played in Cambridge, scoring opportunities were few and far between for both teams due to the outstanding performances of both pitchers. Arthur Fletcher of Emmanuel College was chosen to start for Cambridge, while Wadham’s Henry Carroll was chosen for Oxford. Oxford had a man at third base in the opening inning, but it was Cambridge who manufactured the first run of the series. Trinity’s John Withers opened the second inning with a base hit, before Elijah Galloway of St Catharine’s followed with extra bases to drive Withers home. Cambridge took a 1-0 lead, and despite allowing a hit from opposing pitcher Carroll to begin the third, Fletcher then frustrated Oxford at every turn. Having successfully negotiated the third inning, Fletcher did not allow another Oxford baserunner for the rest of the game, retiring nineteen successive hitters. Twice Cambridge themselves were able to advance runners to third but could not score on either occasion, meaning that the single run was all the scoring that was seen. The series then moved to Oxford for the second game, which the home team had to win to force a deciding match. Cambridge again moved ahead in the second inning, Patrick Wade of Jesus College leading it off with a hit and then with one man out, Trinity’s Percival Hickmott bringing him home. Oxford had to find a way to score against Fletcher, and in the fourth inning they did so. With two men out and nobody on base, Magdalen’s Thomas Knight recorded a two base hit and Brasenose man Jonathan Porter followed with a hit of his own to bring the score level at 1-1. The pitchers continued to dominate until the seventh inning, when Porter was the man who got things started with a hit. With Porter on second base and one man out, pitcher Carroll came to bat and produced the crucial hit to give his team a 2-1 lead. If Oxford thought that margin would be enough to level the series however, they were sadly mistaken. His concentration perhaps broken by his important contribution with the bat, Carroll allowed hits to the first three Cambridge batters in the eighth. Then, with three runners on base, a bad pitch evaded catcher Bernard Dunn and allowed Samuel Ford of St John’s to bring home the run which tied the game at 2-2. Carroll gave himself a chance to escape the inning with no further scoring but with two out and three runners on, he allowed a hit from Robert Humphries of St Catherine’s which brought in two runners and put Cambridge ahead 4-2. In the ninth inning, Cambridge inflicted more damage despite having two men out, as Ernest Norton of St John’s managed to get himself on base for Jesus College’s Mark Dutton to find a run-scoring hit, extending the margin to 5-2. That was too much for Oxford to recover, despite another hit from Porter in their half of the ninth giving another Brasenose man, Stanley Kemball, the opportunity to bring home a run. Fletcher successfully completed the inning to secure a 5-3 victory and take the series, and to nobody’s surprise he was named as the Best Pitcher for this year. Best player went to Dutton, who recorded four hits in eight attempts and both scored and produced important runs in the second game.

11-16-2021, 06:17 PM	#138
as5680 All Star Starter Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: Didcot, England Posts: 1,426	MONTHLY ROUND-UP: AUGUST 1873 Metropolitan League champions Greenwich still lead the way as we head into September but only by a single game, after a difficult month which saw them lose three of their five games. It is The Regent’s Park who are chasing hard as they were undefeated in August and have now won ten successive games. The Old Westminsters seem to be out of the running as they also had a difficult month, despite ending it with victory over Greenwich. Manchester and District League champions Salford are looking good to take another title after an undefeated month which included a victory over a Rochdale team whose strong start to the season is a fading memory. They appear to have dropped out of the race having also lost at Miles Platting, who now seem to be the only team who could take the title from Salford. Defeat against Moss Grove has seen them slip a little further behind though, and given Salford’s form they don’t have room for many more defeats. Liverpool St Patrick’s are closing in on their third successive crown in the Liverpool and District League, winning four out of five this month and extending their lead over Great Float to three games. The crucial moment in the month was the meeting of the two which Liverpool edged 2-1 in ten innings. The reigning champions also lead in the Leeds and Bradford League as Bradford ended August by defeating a fading Leeds team twice. Leeds have now fallen to a losing record, leaving Huddersfield and Hunslet as the leading challengers, although Huddersfield suffered a potentially costly loss at Woodhouse Lane to end August. They trail by one game, with Hunslet fractionally further behind. The race in the Sheffield and District League has swung towards Hallamshire, despite beginning August with a defeat at the hands of Sanderson’s Weir. They won their remaining four games, including a vital victory at Doncaster, while Weir lost their last two games to fall two off the pace. Doncaster only played twice in August, winning one and losing one, and have three games to make up at the end of the season. They have the same number of defeats to their name as Hallamshire, and so could potentially draw level by winning the matches they have in hand. The Birmingham and District League’s first season looks to be going in the direction of Birmingham Main Line, who also suffered some postponements this month but won all three games that they did play, while rivals Edgbaston lost four out of six. Remarkably, they have now played five more games than Main Line, with the teams having each won sixteen but Main Line losing only eight times to Edgbaston’s thirteen. Long-time leaders Isleworth are clinging to a one-game lead in the Middlesex County League after losing five of their six games in August, including one to chasers Ealing. Ealing could have drawn level or even moved ahead had they not also been beaten in each of their last two games. The poor form of the leaders means that Enfield, who have won their last three, are getting closer to the top of the standings and even Tottenham and the Old Harrovians have a chance despite only having even records. Kent County League leaders are Bexley Heath, who took over from Rochester this month after winning their meeting 3-2, part of a run of three successive defeats for Rochester. Defeat against Dartford to end the month kept the lead down to a single game however, while bringing Dartford into the race themselves. Maidstone also pulled themselves into contention by winning all five games in August. Burgh of Partick seem sure to win the Glasgow and District League this year, although that seemed far from the case when they lost their first two games in August, the second to a Dundashill team who closed to within a single game as a result. They lost their next two however, while Partick won their next three and now lead by three games with only five to play. As they play Dundashill and Govan, who are tied for second place, in their next two games they will be champions should they win both. In the East of Scotland League, everything has turned around in the last two weeks as Arthur’s Seat turned a one-game deficit into a one-game lead. After defeating Dunfermline while The Grange were beaten by Kirkcaldy, Arthur’s Seat ended the month by winning the vital game against The Grange 7-2 in ten innings. In other news, the Metropolitan League has announced the identities of the two new teams who will be joining the competition next year. Six applications were received, including one from the West Ham club who received a single vote the last time the league expanded despite not being located within the boundaries of the Metropolitan Board of Works. Favourites to be elected this time were Hammersmith, who missed out by a single vote last time, and a new team based in Putney. The works team of the Surrey Commercial Docks applied again, as did two more newcomers to the vote, from Limehouse and the Isle of Dogs. Having lobbied the existing clubs with great determination, the team from Putney topped the vote having gained the support of six and were duly elected to the league. However, to the surprise of many, the Commercial Dock Workers team earned support from the four existing members located south of the River Thames and that was enough for them to tie with Hammersmith on four votes each, just ahead of Limehouse who gained three. A second ballot was needed, whereby any club which had not voted for either the Dockers or Hammersmith were invited to express a preference between the two. When these second votes were tallied, it was the Dockers who had gained the support of two additional clubs and for the second time, the Hammersmith club narrowly missed out. Putney and Commercial Dock will therefore join the league for the 1874 season, with the new format expected to be confirmed in the new year.

11-16-2021, 06:18 PM	#139
as5680 All Star Starter Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: Didcot, England Posts: 1,426	MONTHLY ROUND-UP: SEPTEMBER 1873 We have reached the end of September with the championship race in the Metropolitan League one of the most exciting of all this year. When champions Greenwich were beaten by Angel midway through the month, The Regent’s Park took full advantage by defeating the City of London Club twice on the same day to extend their winning run to twelve games and draw level at the top of the standings. The Regents then faltered however, being defeated by lowly Clapham and Kensington, and may consider themselves fortunate that Greenwich were beaten by the Royal Artillery Barracks having only shared two with Hackney. All that leaves Greenwich in first place by the smallest of margins, having four games to play compared to the Regents’ five. The two meet in two weeks from now in a game which may decide the destination of this year’s championship. The race is all but over in the Manchester and District League, indeed it would have ended last Saturday had Salford defeated Irwell. A 2-0 defeat leaves the reigning champions needing one win from their remaining four games, or one defeat each for Rochdale and Miles Platting. Salford’s march to the championship has been aided by a collapse from Miles Platting, who lost all four games in September and have now fallen fractionally behind Rochdale again in the race to finish second. The championship is already decided in the Liverpool and District League, with Liverpool St Patrick’s continuing their domination of the competition. They secured the crown by defeating Sankey Brook in their final game of the month, combined with Great Float’s defeat at the hands of St Helens. Great Float had managed to extend the race one more week by winning two against St Patrick’s seven days earlier, but that came much too late to give them any realistic hope of catching up. Bradford Beck will complete a successful defence of their Leeds and Bradford League title if they are able to defeat Wakefield in their final game next Saturday. That didn’t seem likely when they were beaten by Huddersfield in their first game of September, a result which left the two teams tied with five games to play. Beck won their next four however, while Huddersfield played just two more in the month and won only one of them. They have three to play and must hope that Bradford lose to Wakefield, in which case three Huddersfield wins would force a tiebreaking game. In the Sheffield and District League, Hallamshire still lead the way in a tight race, despite losing to both Sanderson’s Weir and Doncaster in September. Weir dropped out of a tie for first place when they were beaten by Holmes Tail in their final game of the month, leaving them one game back with two to play and facing the rest of the season without first choice pitcher Stanley Miller, who suffered an injury to his hand in that game. The unknown factor is Doncaster, who have five to play after several postponements. Their vital win over Hallamshire means that even if the leaders should win both of their remaining games, Doncaster could still tie with them by winning all five of theirs. Defeat at the hands of Tottenham prevent Isleworth from securing the Middlesex County League championship before the end of September, but wins in their previous three have left them in a very strong position. Victory over outgoing champions Edmonton next week will be enough, although Edmonton have finally rediscovered last year’s form by winning their last seven games. Defeat for Isleworth would not matter if Ealing were also to lose, as the margin would then be insurmountable anyway. The race is over in the Kent County League, where the first champions are Bexley Heath. They began the month with a one game lead over Rochester, but three successive wins compared to two wins and two defeats for Rochester gave them a chance to secure the crown when the two met in the final week of September. Three seventh-inning runs broke a 3-3 tie and gave Bexley Heath a 6-3 victory, securing the championship with three games remaining. The most confusing race is in the Birmingham and District League, where Edgbaston have moved back in to first place after winning all four of their games in September, including a dramatic late comeback to defeat rivals Birmingham Main Line 4-3 in ten innings. Main Line played and lost three in the month, and all their postponed games mean that they still have seven to play, while Edgbaston have only one. Should Edgbaston win that game, Main Line would have to take six of their remaining seven to win the championship outright, or five to force a tiebreaker. An Edgbaston defeat would reduce that task to five wins to take the championship, or four to tie. The race is over in the Glasgow and District League, where Burgh of Partick are the new champions despite losing their first two games in September to leave themselves looking a little vulnerable. They recovered to win the next two, securing the championship with a 2-0 victory over Tollcross in their final game of the month. Defeats in their last three leave last year’s winners Lanark-Renfrew in real danger of finishing last this time around. With rivals The Grange having lost to Kirkcaldy, Arthur’s Seat looked set to secure the first title in the East of Scotland League when they took a 4-2 lead in the twelfth inning at Dunfermline, but remarkably allowed three run, all scoring while there were two out, to fall to a 5-4 defeat. That revives hope for The Grange, with the two contenders to meet next week in what is the final scheduled game for Arthur’s Seat. They will be champions with a victory, but should they lose they will face an anxious wait as The Grange have one more to play and would be able to tie by winning that one as well. The Liverpool and District League has now held the vote to determine its two new members for next season, with no fewer than eight clubs having applied. Located on the edge of the city itself, the Anfield club was a clear favourite to top the vote and duly did so with four votes, while many of the other contenders were from nearby towns and support was largely divided. In the event, it came down to the teams from Wigan and Widnes, with Wigan narrowly edging home by three votes to two. Nobody else was able to secure more than a single vote in their favour. Anfield and Wigan will join the league in the new year, with the league widely expected to follow the format taken by the Birmingham and District League this year, of teams divided into two groups for scheduling and meeting those in their group six times, and those outside four times. It is believed that the Preston-based Ribble club, who received no votes at all, may be in negotiations with the teams from Blackburn and Burnley, who received no votes themselves when they applied to the Manchester and District League two years ago. These clubs are thought to favour a new league for teams from central Lancashire, as the Liverpool and Manchester based competitions seem determined to ignore them. Whether this league comes about for next season remains to be seen, but there does seem sure to be a new competition in the south east as Surrey seem set to follow Middlesex and Kent in launching a county league for next year. This seems likely to feature six teams, with confirmation of the line-up expected in January.

11-16-2021, 06:19 PM	#140
as5680 All Star Starter Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: Didcot, England Posts: 1,426	MONTHLY ROUND-UP: OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 1873 The 1873 season has come to an end with five of the ten leagues seeing very dramatic conclusions to their programme. Three leagues were of course decided by the end of September – firstly the new Kent County League, where inaugural champions Bexley Heath ended the year by winning their three October games to claim a seven-game winning run and a five game margin at the top of the standings. In the Liverpool and District League, Liverpool St Patrick’s also won their remaining games and end up four games clear in first place. Glasgow and District League champions Burgh of Partick entered October with just one game left to play, which they duly won and also finished four games ahead. Defeats for Dundashill and White Cart to end the year meant that Partick ended up as the only team with a winning record. Salford and Bradford came into October needing only one win to successfully defend their titles from last year, and both duly achieved that. Salford’s 4-1 win over Belle Vue gave them a third Manchester and District League crown in four years, and although they went on to lose two out of three after that they still ended up with a four game winning margin. That was also Bradford’s margin in the Leeds and Bradford League, although the race had seemed sure to be closer for much of the year. Bradford secured the title by defeating Wakefield 3-2 in their final game, while second placed Huddersfield went on to lose all of their remaining games as the gap grew larger. Huddersfield in fact lost their last four without scoring a run, to fall into a tie for second with Halifax and a Wakefield team who finished the year strongly. Another team who entered October needing just one more win were Middlesex County League leaders Isleworth, but their end to the year turned out to be much more complicated. Leading by two games with two to play, victory over last year’s champions Edmonton would have been enough but they were defeated 2-0, while second-placed Ealing overcame Tottenham 1-0 to take the race to the final game. In that game, Isleworth met Ealing again knowing that a victory would make them champions, but defeat would lead to a tiebreaking game. The game was tense and tight and went all the way to the thirteenth inning before either team could score, and it was Ealing who found the vital run. They claimed a 1-0 victory to leave the teams tied in the standings, and with Ealing having the better of the season’s meetings they would host the extra game. Isleworth had to find a way to recover after the disappointment of their defeat in the previous game, and in another close battle they found the first run in the sixth inning. The game stayed close until the eighth, when Isleworth added three more and although Ealing got one run back in their half of the eighth, they could not recover. Isleworth won 4-1 to take the title that had seemed theirs all year, but which ended up being much more difficult than expected to secure. In the East of Scotland League, Arthur’s Seat also needed one win having allowed the title to slip from their grasp at the end of September, but their final game was against championship rivals The Grange. Victory for The Grange would give them the chance to force a tie if they could also win their final game against Haymarket, and they started will with a run in the third and two more in the fifth. Arthur’s Seat tried to fight back, scoring in the fifth themselves and again in the sixth, but could not find a tying run and a 3-2 defeat left them with an anxious wait for The Grange to play again a week later. Victory over last-placed Haymarket was duly achieved, moving The Grange into a tie and leaving the teams facing an extra game. Arthur’s Seat had won four of the six meetings and so were to host the game, but having missed two chances to secure the crown they came into the game struggling to regain their focus. The Grange took a second inning lead and were able to hold it throughout the game, as they added runs in the fifth, seventh and ninth while Arthur’s Seat wasted numerous scoring opportunities. Three weeks earlier, Arthur’s Seat had required just one more out against Dunfermline to win the championship, now they found themselves as runners-up after an awful end to the year. In the Sheffield and District League, Hallamshire had entered October leading the race but their defeat to Sheffield gave a chance to rivals Sanderson’s Weir and Doncaster, who were meeting one another on the same day. Victory for Weir would have drawn them level in first place, but it was Doncaster who came through 5-4 in a dramatic game to make the race even more complicated. One week later, Hallamshire met Weir in the final game for both teams, with Hallamshire knowing that victory would leave them on the verge of the title. They led early but collapsed to a 5-1 defeat, with Weir drawing level at the top of the standings as a result. On the same day, Doncaster earned two victories at Barnsley and with two games still left to play, with a good chance to snatch the championship. Victory in either one of their rearranged games would be enough, while two defeats would lead to a three-way tiebreaker. The first of those games was at Sheffield Philadelphia, surprise strugglers this year, who played well above their usual level in claiming a 4-3 victory over a Doncaster team who had previously lost only two of fourteen games away from their home field. Doncaster now had to defeat last-placed Holmes Tail to become champions, but that game was postponed a week by poor weather to lengthen the wait yet further. When it was finally played at the beginning of November, Doncaster calmed their nerves with four runs in the first three innings and held on for a 4-2 victory, claiming the championship by a single game. The Birmingham and District League race saw Edgbaston open October by losing their final game of the scheduled season at home to Aston, leaving the destination of the title in the hands of Birmingham Main Line. They played two against Small Heath that day and still had five more to play after that, with Edgbaston’s loss meaning that five victories would give them the championship, while four would put them in a tie with Edgbaston. The two games against Small Heath were split, leaving four wins from five as the target, but when another meeting with Small Heath was lost a week later the task became much tougher. With four to play, Main Line had to win them all to be champions outright, and duly took the next two, which were both against the struggling Old Wulfrunians. That left games against Dudley and Aston in November, with two wins needed for the title and one being enough for a tiebreaker. Main Line took the lead in the first inning against Dudley, but couldn’t score again and gave up runs in the fourth and fifth to fall 2-1, meaning that an outright championship win was out of the question. Their only route to the crown was now via a tiebreaker, which required them to win their home game against Aston. This time it was Aston who scored first, but Main Line tied it up and when they moved ahead in the seventh, an extra game was looming. Sadly for Main Line, Aston tied the game in the eighth and in the ninth, a fielding error allowed them to move ahead 3-2. Main Line could not respond, and their hectic end to the year had proved too much, as Edgbaston took the championship fully five weeks after playing their final game. As for the Metropolitan League, champions Greenwich had entered October with the smallest of leads over The Regent’s Park, while the Old Westminsters were clinging to the slimmest chance of snatching the crown. The excitement was dampened by the weather in the first week of the month, with the meeting of the Regents and the Westminsters postponed, along with Greenwich’s game against Peckham. A week later, it was the Regents and Greenwich who met one another and the game was a disaster for the reigning champions, Greenwich crashing to a 9-0 defeat which moved the Regents into first place. The Westminsters shut out the Royal Artillery Barracks 3-0 to keep themselves in the race. Greenwich seemed to be falling apart, as their following game brought another heavy loss, 10-3 at home to the City of London Club, but they were relieved to see the Regents also lose, 4-2 at Hackney. With the Old Westminsters winning at Clapham, all three teams now had twenty-one wins, with the Westminsters having played and lost one more game than Greenwich and two more than the Regents. October ended with the rearranged game between the Regents and the Westminsters, the final scheduled game for the Westminsters and one which they had to win to have any hope of the championship. They duly did so, by a score of 3-1, and with Greenwich defeating Kensington 2-0 it was now the champions who were back in first place. Trailing by a fraction, the Regents knew they must begin November with a win at Peckham and achieved that with a 5-2 success, leaving them tied with Greenwich with one game to play. The final two games of the season saw the Regents host Kensington and Greenwich entertain Peckham, with both knowing that they would be champions if they won and the other lost. Wins for both would mean a tiebreaker between them, while defeats for both would bring the Westminsters into a three-way tie. After falling behind 2-1 in the fourth, the Regents were indebted to pitcher Stephen Young who came to bat with three runners on and two out and produced a hit which brought all three home to earn a 4-2 lead. The Regents held the advantage for a 5-3 victory, eliminating the Westminsters from the race and leaving it up to Greenwich to force a tie. The champions hit back from a 2-0 deficit to level their game with Peckham at 2-2 in the sixth, but with two out in the eighth pitcher Jesse Pennyfather allowed three successive hits to Peckham batters which brought in a run to put them ahead 3-2. Greenwich could not find a way to tie the score, and their defence of the title fell short in the closing innings of the final game. The Regents took the crown for the second time, six years after their first success. We now move into the offseason, with all the leagues set to give out their awards in the coming days as preparations begin for the 1874 campaign. We know for sure that there will be two new leagues to follow next year, as the Surrey County League will be joined by an equivalent competition for Lancashire, representing the towns in the north and centre of the county which have been overlooked by the leagues based in Liverpool and Manchester. There may yet be another competition to join them, as clubs from the East Midlands cities of Derby and Nottingham are believed to be putting together a league to begin play in the spring. We await confirmation of that, and of the identities of the two teams to be joining the Leeds and Bradford League, voting for which is believed to have been deadlocked in a four-way tie and discussion adjourned to another meeting.