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as5680 · 05-08-2022, 05:04 PM

MONTHLY ROUND-UP: OCTOBER 1877

LONDON AND THE SOUTH

Westminster’s stumble towards the finishing line in the Metropolitan League saw the reigning champions end by losing their final two games, 1-0 in eleven innings against Clapham and then 4-0 at Angel. That left them waiting on three other teams to see whether anyone could beat their total of thirty-three wins from fifty-two games, with the Royal Artillery Barracks’ fourteen-inning loss to Kensington having already ruled them out. Hackney had to win their final two games to tie Westminster, and duly did so, beating Limehouse and the City of London Club. Wins in their last four would have taken Angel past Westminster, but the chance of that soon ended in a loss at Limehouse and despite a victory over fellow contenders Clapham, defeat to the Artillery left them one game behind. In truth though, it was already too late by that stage as the real unknown factor had been Clapham’s six remaining games after Westminster completed their programme. They needed to win four to claim the championship outright, and wins over Putney and the City of London Club took them halfway there. The defeat to Angel slowed their momentum but a vital 1-0 success at Clapham took them to the brink of a second title, three years on from their first. In another game against the City Club, Clapham led 5-0 early on and held off a fightback to take a 5-3 victory and secure the championship. A closing win over the Commercial Dock Workers gave them a two-game margin in the final standings, with Westminster and Hackney sharing second, a game ahead of Angel and the Artillery. Westminster may rue the injury to pitcher Daniel Armstrong which ruled him out of the final month, but in truth their collapsed owed as much if not more to their failings with the bat, as several games which could have been won slipped away with missed scoring chances.

In the Essex County League, Forest Gate missed the chance to secure the championship when they opened October by losing to Pig Alley, although Romford’s defeat on the same day meant that the Three Blackbirds of Leyton were now the only team who could catch up. A week later Forest Gate lost again, this time at Barking, while the Blackbirds won at Romford to keep the pressure on. Facing another game with Barking a week later, Forest Gate managed to put their nerves aside as they led from the first inning, eventually taking a 4-1 victory to secure their second championship in the league’s three years. With the Blackbirds losing, they would have been champions anyway even had they lost. A final day defeat to Romford and a win for the Blackbirds over Barking saw the margin end up at two games.

The Bristol and District League race saw Avon Gorge fractionally ahead going into October but they strengthened that advantage with a 2-1 win over Bristol Easton in their first game in the month, which meant they would take the title by winning their final game. That was against Arno’s Castle, and a three-run first inning took away any nerves and led to an eventual 5-2 success, taking both Bristol and Bath out of the running despite their wins on the same day. Bristol won the meeting of those two in their final game to end up just one game behind the new champions, with Bath two behind in third place.

Kent County League champions Dartford began October with a vital recovery from a 2-0 deficit to edge out Bexley Heath 3-2, while rivals Bromley were only able to share two games with Sheerness on the same day. That left Dartford two games ahead with only three remaining, but the race took another twist a week later when the champions lost 1-0 at Rochester and Bromley shut out Erith by a score of 4-0. Dartford now led only by one and when they crashed 5-0 against Gravesend in their next game, they must have feared Bromley drawing level. However, the challengers were defeated 3-0 by the Royal Engineers meaning that Bromley had to beat Bexley Heath in their final game to keep the race alive. A win would have forced Dartford to win their own final game, but Bromley slipped up again, going down 2-1 and handing a second successive crown to Dartford. The champions did indeed beat Erith in their final game to end up two games clear, while Bromley held on to second place on their own as Sheerness also lost to Bexley Heath in their final fixture.

In the East Kent League, The Buffs led Folkestone & Sandgate by a fraction heading into October but a big win over Ramsgate, coupled with defeat for Folkestone against in-form Ashford, took the Canterbury-based club to within two wins of the championship. The first came a week later against Ashford, but Folkestone defeated Dover to keep the race alive. In reverse fixtures the following week, The Buffs stumbled against Ashford and another Folkestone win in what was their final game would have forced The Buffs to win their last to take the title. However, Dover took a 7-3 win to remove Folkestone from the race, allowing The Buffs to celebrate with a victory over Margate which gave them the inaugural crown with a two-game margin.

In Middlesex and Surrey, the titles were already decided going into October but Middlesex County League champions Edmonton saw their final margin of victory reduced somewhat, albeit only to a still impressive four games. They lost their final two against Isleworth and Ealing, while two wins for Brentford secured second place, a game ahead of Ealing who could only split their four games in October. Surrey champions Croydon also saw their lead reduced in October having lost to the team they deposed as champions, Kingston. Kingston won their final two to finish three games back.

THE NORTH OF ENGLAND

In the Manchester and District League, Miles Platting entered October knowing that victories in four of their remaining six games would secure a third championship in four years, and that task was soon reduced to just three wins by defeats for both Rochdale and Salford early in the month. Having defeated Bolton and Ashton on the first two Saturdays in October, Miles Platting headed for a rescheduled midweek game at lowly Stockport knowing that victory there would end the race, and after scoring four in the first it was never in doubt. A 7-2 win regained the title that had been lost a year ago, with two more wins following before a loss at Moss Grove in their final game. Salford’s loss to Miles Platting and a final game defeat for Rochdale against Bolton allowed Bury to join those two teams in a three-way tie for second, having won their final five games.

Liverpool St Patrick’s had only to win their final game against neighbours Toxteth to regain the Liverpool and District League title, and having taken the lead in the first inning might have expected an easy day. It was not to be so simple as Toxteth fought hard, but could not score and the 1-0 victory earned a sixth championship in seven attempts. The win was needed as second placed Wigan defeated St Helens 4-0 in their last game, to finish just one behind. Outgoing champions Linacre could have joined them in a tie for second had they won their two remaining rescheduled games, but lost both to end up three games back, level with both Sankey and Great Float. Having won just three games last season, strugglers St Helens at least had the distinction of doubling that total this time around.

The Lancashire County League race was already over before the start of October, but the season ended with champions Blackburn losing 6-3 to Chorley. Runners-up Lancaster also lost their final game, meaning that Blackburn ended with a three-game winning margin as only those two teams finished with winning records.

In the Leeds and Bradford League, Woodhouse Lane brought a three game lead over Huddersfield and Bradford into October, and immediately extended it with a win at Batley while the two chasers were sharing two games with one another. Those results gave Woodhouse the chance to secure the championship by beating Bradford in their next game but a 2-0 loss kept Bradford in the hunt, although Huddersfield were eliminated from the race on the same day by losing to Bowling. A week later, Woodhouse themselves lost to Bowling but this time the defeat did not batter, as Bradford fell 4-2 at home to Hunslet and handed the championship to Woodhouse. The new champions ended with a win over Dewsbury to finish three games clear, while Bradford lost their final two to drop back to third place behind Huddersfield.

On the final scheduled day in the Sheffield and District League, Chesterfield had the chance to become champions in just their second season if they could win a home game against Doncaster, but they faltered at the crucial moment and a 1-0 loss handed a chance to both Worksop and reigning champions Sheffield Philadelphia. The champions were not able to take the opportunity as they were beaten 3-0 by lowly Hallamshire, but the other second-year team Worksop defeated Sanderson’s Weir to draw level with Chesterfield and force a tiebreaking game. With home advantage, Chesterfield still had an excellent opportunity to take the crown but fell 1-0 behind in the first inning, with Worksop holding that lead until the fifth. There, Chesterfield rediscovered their form and scored three vital runs, which would eventually prove enough to complete the victory and mean that it was Chesterfield, and not Worksop, who became champions in their second season.

The Yorkshire County League championship would go the way of Scarborough if they were able to beat York in their first game of October and heading into the ninth inning, they were on the brink of success with a 1-0 lead. Somehow, that advantage slipped away and having lost the lead, they trailed 2-1 in the tenth only to rally and score two runs to claim the crown in dramatic fashion. With second placed Beverley losing both of their games in October, Scarborough’s final margin was a dominant five games, with York one further back in third position and last year’s winners Derwent a disappointing last after a very poor title defence.

A close finish was certain in the Tyne and Wear League as three teams headed into October split by a single game, with Newcastle Westgate taking the initiative by defeating neighbours Jesmond 2-0 to begin the month. That meant that on the final day, they would be champions with a win at Wearmouth, but knew that if they lost South Shields could force a tie by beating Gateshead. Even Jesmond still had a chance to tie if Newcastle lost and they were able to win two against Sunderland. Newcastle froze when faced with the opportunity to win the championship, being shutout 3-0 by outgoing champions Wearmouth, and so were left anxiously waiting on news of the other games. South Shields led 1-0 early on at Gateshead but could not hold the advantage and went down 3-2, leaving it down to Jesmond to win both halves of their double against Sunderland. They took a dramatic first game 7-6 and after six innings of the second game were level at 1-1, but in the seventh Sunderland found three runs to destroy Jesmond’s championship hopes. They could get just one back, losing 4-2 to end the year tied with South Shields for second place, one game behind Newcastle.

THE MIDLANDS

At the beginning of October, reigning champions Dudley led Walsall by a fraction in the Birmingham and District League with the Old Wulfrunians holding a slim hope of the title as they were two games back. On the first Saturday of the month however, Dudley and Walsall were both defeated and the Wulfrunians grabbed a 2-1 win over Birmingham Main Line in fifteen innings to make it a really close three-way fight. All three contenders won their next game, before Dudley lost a rescheduled midweek fixture against Aston to leave them effectively tied with Walsall. Sadly for Walsall, they froze under the pressure and crashed 7-2 to West Bromwich in their final game, eliminating them from the race as their two rivals still had to meet, meaning that one would pass Walsall’s win total. Dudley faced one more midweek game against Small Heath, knowing that a win would guarantee them at least a tiebreaker, while a defeat would leave them tied with the Wulfrunians ahead of their meeting, making that game a title decider. The latter scenario seemed inevitable when Small Heath led 4-2 in the tenth, but Dudley tied the game and took the win 5-4 in twelve innings, putting them one game clear of the Old Wulfrunians. Three days later, Dudley hosted the Wulfrunians knowing that a win would give them a third successive crown, while a defeat would mean another meeting in a tiebreaker. Dudley pitcher Frederick Saunders was superb, allowing only two hits all afternoon and leading his team to a 3-0 victory which extended their reign as champions for another year.

Elsewhere in the West Midlands, Cannock and Warwick had already secured championships in the new Staffordshire and Warwickshire County Leagues, with Cannock ending the year two games clear of Burton after both defeated third-placed Lichfield in October. Warwick’s final margin was also two games, the smallest lead they had held since the early weeks of the campaign, after they lost two of their three games in October, including one to second-placed Leamington. That meant that Leamington ended the year with five successive victories, putting them well clear of third-placed Nuneaton.

There was a dramatic twist at the end of the title race in the Derby and Nottingham League, where Midland Loco had entered October needing only to win their final game against Sherwood to take the championship. That game was postponed on the first Saturday of the month, but Trent Bridge did play and lose at home to Rock Valley, eliminating them from contention. Midland had to wait two more weeks to take on Sherwood as their opponents already had a game the following week, where they had to win at Ilkeston to stay in contention. Despite losing a 1-0 lead in the ninth, they did eventually take the game 3-1 meaning that victory over Midland would be enough to force a tiebreaker. That game was a tight battle between two strong pitchers, but in the tenth it was Midland’s Adam Knight who faltered, giving up the only run of the game as Sherwood claimed a 1-0 victory. With the better of the head-to-head, Sherwood would host the tiebreaker where it was Midland who struck first, taking a 2-0 lead in the sixth. Sherwood got one run back immediately and then turned the game in the seventh, scoring two to move 3-2 ahead. Two more in the eighth put it beyond Midland, who lost 5-2 and were left rueing their wait to play the previous game.

In the Leicester and Northampton League, two games between leaders Wellingborough and second-placed Loughborough seemed set to decide the race and it was Wellingborough who won the first, taking it 2-0 to move two games clear. Another defeat for Loughborough against St Margaret’s meant that if Wellingborough could take the second game against Loughborough as well, they would be champions. With Loughborough struggling for runs, one was enough to take it for Wellingborough as they secured the crown with a 1-0 victory. In the end, Loughborough also lost their final two rescheduled games to drop all the way to fourth place, with Leicester and St Margaret’s both passing them as they scored just one run in five games in October.

SCOTLAND

In Scotland, two of the three leagues were already decided with Govan’s 3-0 win over Dundashill giving the new champions a dominant eight-game winning margin in the Glasgow and District League. Deposed champions Tail o’ the Bank also beat Dundashill to secure second place, one game clear of a Burgh of Partick team who lost their final six games overall. In the North Caledonian League, Firth of Tay ended up three games clear of neighbours Dundee Law, having defeated Moncreiffe Island in their final game as Dundee lost to Aberdeen.

The drama in Scotland came, as it has many times in the league’s five-year existence, in the East of Scotland League. Newcomers Vallum Antonini would take the championship at the first attempt if they could win their last two games, and duly took the first against Dunfermline, although second placed Haymarket defeated The Grange on the same day to keep the pressure on. Haymarket also won at Leith in their final game, but Vallum’s final fixture against The Grange was postponed on the same day to keep the championship in the balance. Remarkably, the game was again postponed the following Saturday giving Vallum a long time to consider the prospect of taking the title, and when it was finally played they were faced with Grange pitcher Abraham Margetson in fine form. He kept Vallum from scoring all afternoon as they crashed 2-0, meaning that for the fourth time in five season the league would need a tiebreaker to decide the champions. The clubs requested that the game be played on the first Saturday in November, but the national teams of England and Scotland refused to delay the International Series, meaning that the clubs could have been without some players. They eventually agreed to play on Wednesday, with Haymarket having home advantage, and again Vallum faced a pitcher at the top of his game. William McKee was even better than Margetson had been days earlier, as Vallum recorded only one hit in the game. Haymarket took the lead with two runs in the third and did not look back, winning the game 4-0 to take the title for the first time. Leith ended the season in third place, with long-time leaders Arthur’s Seat in fourth after their collapse saw them lose two more before winning their last game. Having won eighteen of their first twenty-two, they took just two of the last twelve to end up three games behind the tie.

05-08-2022, 05:04 PM	#216
as5680 All Star Starter Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: Didcot, England Posts: 1,426	MONTHLY ROUND-UP: OCTOBER 1877 LONDON AND THE SOUTH Westminster’s stumble towards the finishing line in the Metropolitan League saw the reigning champions end by losing their final two games, 1-0 in eleven innings against Clapham and then 4-0 at Angel. That left them waiting on three other teams to see whether anyone could beat their total of thirty-three wins from fifty-two games, with the Royal Artillery Barracks’ fourteen-inning loss to Kensington having already ruled them out. Hackney had to win their final two games to tie Westminster, and duly did so, beating Limehouse and the City of London Club. Wins in their last four would have taken Angel past Westminster, but the chance of that soon ended in a loss at Limehouse and despite a victory over fellow contenders Clapham, defeat to the Artillery left them one game behind. In truth though, it was already too late by that stage as the real unknown factor had been Clapham’s six remaining games after Westminster completed their programme. They needed to win four to claim the championship outright, and wins over Putney and the City of London Club took them halfway there. The defeat to Angel slowed their momentum but a vital 1-0 success at Clapham took them to the brink of a second title, three years on from their first. In another game against the City Club, Clapham led 5-0 early on and held off a fightback to take a 5-3 victory and secure the championship. A closing win over the Commercial Dock Workers gave them a two-game margin in the final standings, with Westminster and Hackney sharing second, a game ahead of Angel and the Artillery. Westminster may rue the injury to pitcher Daniel Armstrong which ruled him out of the final month, but in truth their collapsed owed as much if not more to their failings with the bat, as several games which could have been won slipped away with missed scoring chances. In the Essex County League, Forest Gate missed the chance to secure the championship when they opened October by losing to Pig Alley, although Romford’s defeat on the same day meant that the Three Blackbirds of Leyton were now the only team who could catch up. A week later Forest Gate lost again, this time at Barking, while the Blackbirds won at Romford to keep the pressure on. Facing another game with Barking a week later, Forest Gate managed to put their nerves aside as they led from the first inning, eventually taking a 4-1 victory to secure their second championship in the league’s three years. With the Blackbirds losing, they would have been champions anyway even had they lost. A final day defeat to Romford and a win for the Blackbirds over Barking saw the margin end up at two games. The Bristol and District League race saw Avon Gorge fractionally ahead going into October but they strengthened that advantage with a 2-1 win over Bristol Easton in their first game in the month, which meant they would take the title by winning their final game. That was against Arno’s Castle, and a three-run first inning took away any nerves and led to an eventual 5-2 success, taking both Bristol and Bath out of the running despite their wins on the same day. Bristol won the meeting of those two in their final game to end up just one game behind the new champions, with Bath two behind in third place. Kent County League champions Dartford began October with a vital recovery from a 2-0 deficit to edge out Bexley Heath 3-2, while rivals Bromley were only able to share two games with Sheerness on the same day. That left Dartford two games ahead with only three remaining, but the race took another twist a week later when the champions lost 1-0 at Rochester and Bromley shut out Erith by a score of 4-0. Dartford now led only by one and when they crashed 5-0 against Gravesend in their next game, they must have feared Bromley drawing level. However, the challengers were defeated 3-0 by the Royal Engineers meaning that Bromley had to beat Bexley Heath in their final game to keep the race alive. A win would have forced Dartford to win their own final game, but Bromley slipped up again, going down 2-1 and handing a second successive crown to Dartford. The champions did indeed beat Erith in their final game to end up two games clear, while Bromley held on to second place on their own as Sheerness also lost to Bexley Heath in their final fixture. In the East Kent League, The Buffs led Folkestone & Sandgate by a fraction heading into October but a big win over Ramsgate, coupled with defeat for Folkestone against in-form Ashford, took the Canterbury-based club to within two wins of the championship. The first came a week later against Ashford, but Folkestone defeated Dover to keep the race alive. In reverse fixtures the following week, The Buffs stumbled against Ashford and another Folkestone win in what was their final game would have forced The Buffs to win their last to take the title. However, Dover took a 7-3 win to remove Folkestone from the race, allowing The Buffs to celebrate with a victory over Margate which gave them the inaugural crown with a two-game margin. In Middlesex and Surrey, the titles were already decided going into October but Middlesex County League champions Edmonton saw their final margin of victory reduced somewhat, albeit only to a still impressive four games. They lost their final two against Isleworth and Ealing, while two wins for Brentford secured second place, a game ahead of Ealing who could only split their four games in October. Surrey champions Croydon also saw their lead reduced in October having lost to the team they deposed as champions, Kingston. Kingston won their final two to finish three games back. THE NORTH OF ENGLAND In the Manchester and District League, Miles Platting entered October knowing that victories in four of their remaining six games would secure a third championship in four years, and that task was soon reduced to just three wins by defeats for both Rochdale and Salford early in the month. Having defeated Bolton and Ashton on the first two Saturdays in October, Miles Platting headed for a rescheduled midweek game at lowly Stockport knowing that victory there would end the race, and after scoring four in the first it was never in doubt. A 7-2 win regained the title that had been lost a year ago, with two more wins following before a loss at Moss Grove in their final game. Salford’s loss to Miles Platting and a final game defeat for Rochdale against Bolton allowed Bury to join those two teams in a three-way tie for second, having won their final five games. Liverpool St Patrick’s had only to win their final game against neighbours Toxteth to regain the Liverpool and District League title, and having taken the lead in the first inning might have expected an easy day. It was not to be so simple as Toxteth fought hard, but could not score and the 1-0 victory earned a sixth championship in seven attempts. The win was needed as second placed Wigan defeated St Helens 4-0 in their last game, to finish just one behind. Outgoing champions Linacre could have joined them in a tie for second had they won their two remaining rescheduled games, but lost both to end up three games back, level with both Sankey and Great Float. Having won just three games last season, strugglers St Helens at least had the distinction of doubling that total this time around. The Lancashire County League race was already over before the start of October, but the season ended with champions Blackburn losing 6-3 to Chorley. Runners-up Lancaster also lost their final game, meaning that Blackburn ended with a three-game winning margin as only those two teams finished with winning records. In the Leeds and Bradford League, Woodhouse Lane brought a three game lead over Huddersfield and Bradford into October, and immediately extended it with a win at Batley while the two chasers were sharing two games with one another. Those results gave Woodhouse the chance to secure the championship by beating Bradford in their next game but a 2-0 loss kept Bradford in the hunt, although Huddersfield were eliminated from the race on the same day by losing to Bowling. A week later, Woodhouse themselves lost to Bowling but this time the defeat did not batter, as Bradford fell 4-2 at home to Hunslet and handed the championship to Woodhouse. The new champions ended with a win over Dewsbury to finish three games clear, while Bradford lost their final two to drop back to third place behind Huddersfield. On the final scheduled day in the Sheffield and District League, Chesterfield had the chance to become champions in just their second season if they could win a home game against Doncaster, but they faltered at the crucial moment and a 1-0 loss handed a chance to both Worksop and reigning champions Sheffield Philadelphia. The champions were not able to take the opportunity as they were beaten 3-0 by lowly Hallamshire, but the other second-year team Worksop defeated Sanderson’s Weir to draw level with Chesterfield and force a tiebreaking game. With home advantage, Chesterfield still had an excellent opportunity to take the crown but fell 1-0 behind in the first inning, with Worksop holding that lead until the fifth. There, Chesterfield rediscovered their form and scored three vital runs, which would eventually prove enough to complete the victory and mean that it was Chesterfield, and not Worksop, who became champions in their second season. The Yorkshire County League championship would go the way of Scarborough if they were able to beat York in their first game of October and heading into the ninth inning, they were on the brink of success with a 1-0 lead. Somehow, that advantage slipped away and having lost the lead, they trailed 2-1 in the tenth only to rally and score two runs to claim the crown in dramatic fashion. With second placed Beverley losing both of their games in October, Scarborough’s final margin was a dominant five games, with York one further back in third position and last year’s winners Derwent a disappointing last after a very poor title defence. A close finish was certain in the Tyne and Wear League as three teams headed into October split by a single game, with Newcastle Westgate taking the initiative by defeating neighbours Jesmond 2-0 to begin the month. That meant that on the final day, they would be champions with a win at Wearmouth, but knew that if they lost South Shields could force a tie by beating Gateshead. Even Jesmond still had a chance to tie if Newcastle lost and they were able to win two against Sunderland. Newcastle froze when faced with the opportunity to win the championship, being shutout 3-0 by outgoing champions Wearmouth, and so were left anxiously waiting on news of the other games. South Shields led 1-0 early on at Gateshead but could not hold the advantage and went down 3-2, leaving it down to Jesmond to win both halves of their double against Sunderland. They took a dramatic first game 7-6 and after six innings of the second game were level at 1-1, but in the seventh Sunderland found three runs to destroy Jesmond’s championship hopes. They could get just one back, losing 4-2 to end the year tied with South Shields for second place, one game behind Newcastle. THE MIDLANDS At the beginning of October, reigning champions Dudley led Walsall by a fraction in the Birmingham and District League with the Old Wulfrunians holding a slim hope of the title as they were two games back. On the first Saturday of the month however, Dudley and Walsall were both defeated and the Wulfrunians grabbed a 2-1 win over Birmingham Main Line in fifteen innings to make it a really close three-way fight. All three contenders won their next game, before Dudley lost a rescheduled midweek fixture against Aston to leave them effectively tied with Walsall. Sadly for Walsall, they froze under the pressure and crashed 7-2 to West Bromwich in their final game, eliminating them from the race as their two rivals still had to meet, meaning that one would pass Walsall’s win total. Dudley faced one more midweek game against Small Heath, knowing that a win would guarantee them at least a tiebreaker, while a defeat would leave them tied with the Wulfrunians ahead of their meeting, making that game a title decider. The latter scenario seemed inevitable when Small Heath led 4-2 in the tenth, but Dudley tied the game and took the win 5-4 in twelve innings, putting them one game clear of the Old Wulfrunians. Three days later, Dudley hosted the Wulfrunians knowing that a win would give them a third successive crown, while a defeat would mean another meeting in a tiebreaker. Dudley pitcher Frederick Saunders was superb, allowing only two hits all afternoon and leading his team to a 3-0 victory which extended their reign as champions for another year. Elsewhere in the West Midlands, Cannock and Warwick had already secured championships in the new Staffordshire and Warwickshire County Leagues, with Cannock ending the year two games clear of Burton after both defeated third-placed Lichfield in October. Warwick’s final margin was also two games, the smallest lead they had held since the early weeks of the campaign, after they lost two of their three games in October, including one to second-placed Leamington. That meant that Leamington ended the year with five successive victories, putting them well clear of third-placed Nuneaton. There was a dramatic twist at the end of the title race in the Derby and Nottingham League, where Midland Loco had entered October needing only to win their final game against Sherwood to take the championship. That game was postponed on the first Saturday of the month, but Trent Bridge did play and lose at home to Rock Valley, eliminating them from contention. Midland had to wait two more weeks to take on Sherwood as their opponents already had a game the following week, where they had to win at Ilkeston to stay in contention. Despite losing a 1-0 lead in the ninth, they did eventually take the game 3-1 meaning that victory over Midland would be enough to force a tiebreaker. That game was a tight battle between two strong pitchers, but in the tenth it was Midland’s Adam Knight who faltered, giving up the only run of the game as Sherwood claimed a 1-0 victory. With the better of the head-to-head, Sherwood would host the tiebreaker where it was Midland who struck first, taking a 2-0 lead in the sixth. Sherwood got one run back immediately and then turned the game in the seventh, scoring two to move 3-2 ahead. Two more in the eighth put it beyond Midland, who lost 5-2 and were left rueing their wait to play the previous game. In the Leicester and Northampton League, two games between leaders Wellingborough and second-placed Loughborough seemed set to decide the race and it was Wellingborough who won the first, taking it 2-0 to move two games clear. Another defeat for Loughborough against St Margaret’s meant that if Wellingborough could take the second game against Loughborough as well, they would be champions. With Loughborough struggling for runs, one was enough to take it for Wellingborough as they secured the crown with a 1-0 victory. In the end, Loughborough also lost their final two rescheduled games to drop all the way to fourth place, with Leicester and St Margaret’s both passing them as they scored just one run in five games in October. SCOTLAND In Scotland, two of the three leagues were already decided with Govan’s 3-0 win over Dundashill giving the new champions a dominant eight-game winning margin in the Glasgow and District League. Deposed champions Tail o’ the Bank also beat Dundashill to secure second place, one game clear of a Burgh of Partick team who lost their final six games overall. In the North Caledonian League, Firth of Tay ended up three games clear of neighbours Dundee Law, having defeated Moncreiffe Island in their final game as Dundee lost to Aberdeen. The drama in Scotland came, as it has many times in the league’s five-year existence, in the East of Scotland League. Newcomers Vallum Antonini would take the championship at the first attempt if they could win their last two games, and duly took the first against Dunfermline, although second placed Haymarket defeated The Grange on the same day to keep the pressure on. Haymarket also won at Leith in their final game, but Vallum’s final fixture against The Grange was postponed on the same day to keep the championship in the balance. Remarkably, the game was again postponed the following Saturday giving Vallum a long time to consider the prospect of taking the title, and when it was finally played they were faced with Grange pitcher Abraham Margetson in fine form. He kept Vallum from scoring all afternoon as they crashed 2-0, meaning that for the fourth time in five season the league would need a tiebreaker to decide the champions. The clubs requested that the game be played on the first Saturday in November, but the national teams of England and Scotland refused to delay the International Series, meaning that the clubs could have been without some players. They eventually agreed to play on Wednesday, with Haymarket having home advantage, and again Vallum faced a pitcher at the top of his game. William McKee was even better than Margetson had been days earlier, as Vallum recorded only one hit in the game. Haymarket took the lead with two runs in the third and did not look back, winning the game 4-0 to take the title for the first time. Leith ended the season in third place, with long-time leaders Arthur’s Seat in fourth after their collapse saw them lose two more before winning their last game. Having won eighteen of their first twenty-two, they took just two of the last twelve to end up three games behind the tie.