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Old 02-27-2017, 08:01 AM   #1053
as5680
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British Baseball News
Saturday 12 October
1889

For the fourth successive year, the Alliance play-offs will have to wait a few more days as a tiebreaker game is needed in one of the leagues. This year it is the turn of Yorkshire, where Sheffield lost at city rivals Sanderson's Weir this afternoon and York took full advantage, beating Bradford to draw level at the top. Having had the better of the head-to-head meetings, Sheffield will host the extra game and in another twist, it appears that their star pitcher Ernest Davis may be fit to play in the game. While they initially appeared to be coping will with his absence, Sheffield have really missed him in their last couple of games and his return would be a real boost to them. With a win over East of Hull, West of Hull finish just two games back in third place, their wonderful run of twenty-one wins from their last twenty-five games coming just too late.

Elsewhere on the final day, there was extra innings drama in Belfast where Clonard and Queen's Island contested first place in the Irish League's Belfast Section. Queen's Island came back from a 2-0 deficit to lead 3-2, but Clonard tied the game and it went all the way to the eleventh, where it was Clonard who got the vital run home. They take first place for the first time, meaning that the Belfast Section has had three different winners in its three seasons and leaving Queen's Island as the only team not to have finished first yet. Sailortown's win over Laganside means that they share second with Queen's Island, just one game separating three of the four teams after a wonderful race. Clonard now meet Drumcondra in the championship play-off, with the first game in Dublin on Tuesday and the second in Belfast on Thursday. Clonard lost all six regular season meetings between the teams so need to improve significantly if they are to have a chance of the title.

All the other leagues brought their regular seasons to an end today with Kensington beating Rotherhithe to end with a three game margin of victory in the Metropolitan League. Victory over Clapham earned second place outright for Hackney, as the City of London Club and Putney both lost. Manchester's final gap in the Lancashire League was five games after they shared their last two games with Irwell, while Rochdale won twice in the final week. Last day wins for Burnley and Moss Grove earned both an even record for the year. Wimbledon end with the biggest lead in any of the English leagues, winning the Suburban League by seven clear games after two wins over Hammersmith this week, while Croydon beat Harrow twice to leave those two teams sharing second place.

Leicester win the Central League by six games after beating Cannon Hill on the final day, with their winning percentage earning them the top seeding in the Alliance play-offs and the only bye through to the semi-finals. As with previous teams earning byes, they will play exhibition games while the quarter-finals are in progress. Leicester have looked to London for their opposition, inviting Putney and Harrow to the Midlands for exhibitions. With Middlesbrough losing their final game of the season against Stockton, their winning margin in the Northern Combination is four games, comfortable enough but much reduced from the massive thirteen game gap they enjoyed last year.

Up in Scotland, Glasgow lost their last two games in the Caledonian League to end up four clear of Moncreiffe Island, who won their last two. Glasgow will also play exhibitions while they wait to see which Irish League team they will meet in the Celtic Challenge. They hoped to play both Sailortown and Queen's Island, but after the disappointment of losing out to Clonard today Queen's Island have turned down the invitation. Glasgow will instead meet Sunderland, a historic first ever game between Scottish and English clubs. Whether such a game leads to a change in attitudes regarding the Caledonian League joining the Alliance remains to be seen.

Last edited by as5680; 02-27-2017 at 08:37 AM.
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