MONTHLY ROUND-UP: MARCH/APRIL 1866
We’ve reached the end of April with the Metropolitan League’s second season at the one-fifth mark, every team having played six games with the exception of Clapham and Kensington, whose opening day meeting was postponed and will be caught up in June. It could be said that the season so far is shaping up much as expected, with reigning champions the Old Westminsters and highly favoured Angel Islington sharing first place in the standings.
Angel made the faster start, beating the Westminsters in the opening game and going to win the first three. With both teams losing to Clapham in successive weeks, they entered their second meeting of the season on the last Saturday in April with Angel a game ahead, but the Westminsters took their revenge to move level on four wins and two defeats.
Last year’s runners-up The Regent’s Park have made an inconsistent start, winning and losing alternate games for an even record, a distinction which they share with the City of London Club as those teams sit level in third place. Clapham’s wins over the two leading contenders have been in large due to excellent pitching, but their hitting has too often been poor and they have a losing record so far, sitting ahead only of Kensington. Having lost their first four games, Kensington at last enjoyed a win as they overcame Clapham to end the month of April.
