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.
