OOTP Developments Forums - View Single Post - British and Irish Baseball

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.

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.