In a repeat of the 1952 Championship Series, Manchester Elephants and Croydon Capitals went toe-to-toe for the biggest prize in British Baseball.
The series opened in Manchester’s Belle Vue Stadium to a sell-out crowd, over 25,000 witnessed the Elephants run rampant. You’d be forgiven for thinking the Manchester boys were going to runaway with the series, as they scored in every inning they took to the plate, except for the seventh. Every starter batted in one run in an incredible offensive display, led by Jimmy O’Toole who went 3 for 5 with 3 RBIs and Daniel Williamson likewise 3 for 5, he batted in 5 total runs.
The Capitals offensive dried up after scoring 1 in the first, they would manage to shake O’Toole for 4 in the eighth, some damage limitation.
The game ended 5-16, the Elephants taking game 1 comfortably.
In game 2 and the Capitals dusted themselves down and went out to prove they were in the Championship Series to compete. After getting 1 run on the board in the second, Capitals rookie pitcher Evan Horne kept the Elephants shut down until the fourth, when deep drive into centre field from Teague Doyle got him a triple with 1 already on base.
However this was all the Elephants offense could muster, the Capitals retook the lead in the fifth and didn’t look back. Earning an 8-2 victory and tying up the series.
We moved to Capital Field for game 3, again the Croydon pitching tying up the Elephants. 42-year old veteran Nicky Parry threw 6 solid innings, allowing only 2 runs and 6 hits, fanning 6 Manchester hitters, Sean Anderson in relief threw the final 3, allowing only 1 hit and striking out another 3. All whilst their offense played their part putting up 3 in the second and another run in the fourth and fifth. Aiden Iles leading the offense with 3 hits in 4 Abs, batting in 2 of his team’s 5 runs.
5-2 for Croydon Capitals who take the lead in the series.
Game 4 was an all-time classic for the purest that savours a pitching dual. Both starters threw complete games, O’Toole hurling 120 pitches over his 8 innings, giving up 5 hits and 2 runs, whilst striking out 7. His rival Billy Walsh throwing 9 innings, 100 pitches, giving up only 4 hits and 1 run, he fanned 2 Manchester batters.
A rare lapse from O’Toole was enough for the Capitals to take the initiative, doubles from Iles and Dick Davies, followed by a single from Thomas O’Hanrahan brought in the Croydon club 2 runs. Enough for them to secure a 2-1 victory and increase their lead in the series, making it 3-1.
Game 5, the opportunity for the Capitals to secure revenge, the Elephants’ last chance to keep this series alive.
Manchester struck first with 2 in the second, a back and fourth game, with 1 for Croydon in the bottom of the fourth, tied at 3-3 by the time we got to the sixth, when the Capitals third baseman Ryan Rainey would hit a ferocious home run with 1 on base, to take the lead. Triple crown winner Adonis Millar of the Elephants, finally made his presence felt in the series, responding with a two-run home run of his own in the seventh, it was again tied up…
Croydon outfielder Iles and second baseman Davies would once again combine to give their team the go-ahead run in immediate response in the bottom of the seventh, for reliever Alan Murphy be called to arms, he shut down the Elephants offense for a 6-5 Capitals victory.
The Croydon Capitals win the series 4 to 1.
The Capitals are champions of Britain.
Player of the Series, Aiden Iles, Croydon, AB 22, H 11, HR 1, RBI 7, .500 AVG.
Progress League Championship Series won by Southport Cylones, 4 games to 3 against the Brighton Sunshines.
Alliance League was won by the Stockport Hatters with a 54 - 31 record. The league was decided by a tie-breaker game against the Blackburn Olympics. The Hatters came back from behind in the bottom 9th, scoring 3 runs, to win the game 5-4 and the league in the most dramatic fashion.
The Stirling Highlanders swept the Dundee Lillies in 4 games to win the Scottish Championship.