TOURNAMENT REVIEW: 1876 SCOTTISH COUNTIES CHAMPIONSHIP
The second county championship in Scotland kept the format of having one semi-final between the two eastern teams and the other between the western teams, with home advantage flipped from last year meaning that Edinburghshire and Renfrewshire would play on their own fields. In the eastern semi-final, visitors Fife took the lead in the first inning when Arthur Brown of Dunfermline produced a hit with two out to bring Kirkcaldy’s Andrew Taggart home from third. There was no more scoring until the sixth, when another Dunfermline man, Hugh Riley, stepped up for Fife with two out and runners at second and third. His hit brought both home, and his team now had a commanding 3-0 advantage. Edinburghshire were struggling against pitcher Francis Kemp, and it was Brown again who ended any hopes they may have retained of reaching a second final when his home run in the eighth added two more runs. When Kemp eased through the ninth without allowing a runner, Fife confirmed their 5-0 victory and moved through to the final for the first time.
Reigning champions Lanarkshire were indebted to the pitching of Airdrie’s Bruce Fraser in their success last year and he was in fine form again this time as they travelled to Renfrewshire for the western semi-final. He was given an advantage in the second inning as his club teammate Leslie Goldhawk found a one-out hit to bring John Cunningham of Tollcross home from second, and Renfrewshire now had to figure out how to score against Fraser. After hits in the fourth and sixth came to nothing, their chance seemed to be in the seventh when another Airdrie man, James Cleeton, opened up with a two-base hit and then advanced to third on a ground ball, giving Renfrewshire a runner at third with one out. Fraser struck out the next two men however, and then moved comfortably through the last two innings without allowing another runner. Lanarkshire were in the final for a second time, and having correctly called the coin toss would host Fife to decide the championship.
Fife knew that if Fraser was on form in the final, they would have to make the most of any chance they had to score and in the fourth inning, they did just that. James Pemberton, who will play in England’s new Tyne and Wear League for Gateshead, opened that inning with a two base hit and then with one out, Kirkcaldy’s Andrew Taggart brought hit home to open the scoring. There were no more baserunners for either team until the seventh, as the pitchers dominated, but when Hugh Neal of The Grange produced a home run to double the lead for Fife it seemed that Lanarkshire’s run as champions may be over. Unfortunately for Fife though, Lanarkshire were not giving up easily and in their half of the seventh they came to life. Two hits to open the inning gave them an immediate chance to get back into the game, and when Tollcross man John Cunningham followed that with a two-base hit of his own, Lanarkshire were on the scoreboard. Walter Byrne of White Cart was standing at third and he was able to come home on a ground ball for the first out and tie the game at 2-2. Now Cunningham was at third and two batters later, another ground ball hit by Partick’s Hugh Young brought him home to complete the turnaround.
Lanarkshire now led 3-2, but Fife were not finished yet. They got a runner to second in the eighth inning without scoring, and then in the ninth managed to get three runners on base with two outs. The man with the chance to tie the game or even put Fife ahead was Dunfermline’s Hugh Riley, but pitcher Fraser regained his composure to strike out Riley and preserve the win for Lanarkshire. They take the title for the second time in as many attempts with a 3-2 victory, with Fraser again named as Best Pitcher just as he was a year ago. Best Player went to James Pemberton, who will be a man to watch for spectators in the north-east of England when the Tyne and Wear League gets underway.
