MONTHLY ROUND-UP: MARCH 1869
Two-time champions the Old Westminsters have made a fine start to the new season in the Metropolitan League, albeit not without making life hard for themselves. With two of the second week’s games postponed after a week of heavy rain in London left the fields unplayable, the Westminsters are the only team with two wins to their name, but they have had to play no fewer than twenty-nine innings to get them. A thirteen-inning win over Clapham was followed by success in sixteen innings against Greenwich, and had it not been for ninth-inning recoveries each time the Westminsters could have found themselves with two defeats on the board instead.
Reigning champions the Royal Artillery Barracks were victorious in their only game so far, as were Kensington and the City of London Club. Greenwich were well fancied this year but started out with defeat to the Artillery and then the Westminsters, leaving them in a share of last place alongside former champions The Regent’s Park. Angel are the other team without a victory, but from just one game.
At the universities, the pre-season predictions are proving remarkably accurate so far, as Christ Church lead the way in Oxford after winning all four of their games. Champions Brasenose share second place with Merton, one game back, while Magdalen are struggling as expected and are the only team without a victory. At Cambridge, St Catharine’s lead the way having won three out of four, followed by St John’s and Clare who had their meeting postponed and each have two wins from three. Trinity have been beaten in all four of their games and sit in last place.
