British and Irish Baseball

[as5680]

British Baseball News
Saturday 17 March 1888

After three rounds of games, there are already no undefeated teams remaining in the Irish League after Trinity were beaten 5-0 by champions Drumcondra this afternoon. Although they were the last undefeated team, Trinity only have one win to their name as their game with Rathmines on Wednesday had been postponed. Drumcondra had suffered their first defeat against Kilmainham on Wednesday, while Belfast Section champions Laganside suffered their first defeat against Clonard on the same afternoon. Laganside recovered to beat Queen's Island today and share first place with Sailortown, while in Dublin it is Drumcondra and Kilmainham who are jointly in first position with two wins out of three.

Most of the English leagues have their final round of pre-season games this coming Wednesday, ahead of the opening day of the regular season next Saturday. In this afternoon's games, the final undefeated pre-season record fell when Rochdale lost 6-5 to Irwell in the Lancashire League, while the last winless record also ended with South Shields' 7-1 victory over newcomers Stockton in the Northern Combination.

[as5680]

British Baseball News
Friday 23 March 1888

Seven different leagues get underway tomorrow as the 1888 baseball season begins across England and Scotland. Only the Metropolitan League remains in pre-season, with four more rounds of fixtures remaining. For the leagues beginning today, the experts have been making their predictions about what is likely to happen in the months ahead.

Two years ago, Rochdale claimed their first Lancashire League championship and they are very strongly fancied to take the title back after finishing second last season. Their form was almost perfect in pre-season, winning ten of their last eleven games, making them one of the favourites for this campaign. Their biggest rivals this season are expected to be four-time winners Manchester, who had a difficult season last time with star pitcher Mark Wood missing half the season with injury. His return brought an upturn in their form and many believe they will be contending for another championship despite a poor pre-season, although their fortunes will depend on Wood remaining healthy. Defending champions Liverpool also had a good pre-season and look a strong team in theory, but it may be that they are not quite good enough to hold on to the title. Having finished last a year ago, Moss Grove could be at the bottom of the standings again.

Pre-Season Standings: Rochdale 10-1, Liverpool 8-3, Burnley 8-3 Ribble 7-4, Oldham 6-5, Bolton 6-5, Blackburn 5-6, Moss Grove 5-6, Irwell 3-8, Manchester 3-8, St. Helens 3-8, Toxteth 2-9.

Predictions: =1) Rochdale/Manchester, 3) Blackburn, 4) St. Helens, 5) Liverpool, =6) Bolton/Oldham, 8) Ribble, 9) Irwell, =10) Burnley/Toxteth, 12) Moss Grove.

For the last two years, Ealing and Wimbledon have needed a tiebreaker game to separate them at the top of the Suburban League but plenty of observers feel that this time it might be Croydon, third in each of those campaigns, who take the crown. All three teams were in the middle of the pack in pre-season, but as long as their first choice pitchers are available they still look the best in the league. Croydon seem to have more depth to their pitching, making them many people's favourites. Harrow and Forest Gate were the best teams in pre-season and both are likely to end up with winning records once more, but don't look quite good enough to challenge for the title. Enfield look set to be the most improved team, while Hammersmith are expected to join the league's strugglers and be battling with Dartford to avoid finishing last.

Pre-Season Standings: Harrow 8-3, Forest Gate 7-4, Tottenham 6-5, Dartford 6-5, Enfield 6-5, Ealing 6-5, Bexley Heath 6-5, Wimbledon 6-5, Croydon 5-6, Hammersmith 4-7, Kingston 3-8, West Ham 3-8.

Predictions: 1) Croydon, 2) Wimbledon, 3) Ealing, 4) Enfield, 5) Harrow, 6) Forest Gate, 7) West Ham, 8) Tottenham, 9) Kingston, 10) Bexley Heath, 11) Hammersmith, 12) Dartford.

In the Yorkshire League, most people expect the regular season to reflect the pre-season standings in terms of the top three teams. Champions Sheffield and regular contenders Sanderson's Weir will certainly be in the running again, with West of Hull thought likely to continue their improvement of the last couple of seasons and possibly making a serious bid for their first title. Wests and Sheffield were just behind top placed Sanderson's Weir in pre-season play, but for many it is Sheffield who are favourites to hold on to the crown for a third successive year. Wests and Weir should be battling for second place, with York and Halifax, who have been closest to Sheffield for the last two seasons, dropping back down the standings. York in particular struggled in pre-season and may be set for a worse campaign. Bradford look like the weakest team this year and may be a little way adrift in last place.

Pre-Season Standings: Sanderson's Weir 8-2, Sheffield 7-3, West of Hull 7-3, East of Hull 6-4, Woodhouse 5-5, Halifax 5-5, Bradford 4-6, Leeds 3-7, Huddersfield 3-7, York 2-8.

Predictions: 1) Sheffield, 2) West of Hull, 3) Sanderson's Weir, =4) York/Halifax, 6) Leeds, 7) East of Hull, 8) Huddersfield, 9) Woodhouse, 10) Bradford.

Leicester have taken the Central League title for the past three seasons but this could be the year that their run comes to an end. A combination of strong hitting and strong pitching makes Cannon Hill the favourites in the eyes of many observers, although Leicester are sure to be strong again. They had a good pre-season, beaten in the standings only by neighbours St. Margaret's, with the title appearing to be between just Leicester and Cannon Hill. Walsall might be the best of the rest despite having jointly the worst pre-season record, while St. Margaret's don't look quite strong enough to continue their pre-season form throughout a full campaign. Wolverhampton look likely to fall back into the middle of the pack after their strong showing last time out, while Derby finished bottom of the pile last season and are the almost unanimous choice to do so again.

Pre-Season Standings: St. Margaret's 8-2, Leicester 7-3, Wolverhampton 6-4, Birmingham 6-4, Cannon Hill 6-4, Trent Bridge 4-6, Derby 4-6, Sherwood 3-7, Aston 3-7, Walsall 3-7.

Predictions: 1) Cannon Hill, 2) Leicester, 3) Walsall, 4) Aston, 5) Birmingham, 6) Wolverhampton, =7) St. Margaret's/Sherwood, 9) Trent Bridge, 10) Derby.

The Northern Combination is difficult to predict this year because there are almost as many new teams as established ones, with four newcomers joining the six founder members. All the signs however point to at least two of the new teams being very strong in their debut campaigns, with Middlesbrough seen as having an excellent chance to end the four-year reign of Wearmouth as champions. Wearmouth will certainly be contending again, but their pre-season record was only average at best. Three of the new teams were better in pre-season, with only Stockton struggling, but Darlington are thought unlikely to sustain their form through the year. Gateshead had a wonderful pre-season, winning nine out of ten, but they should still be down amongst the struggers, along with last year's worst team South Shields who won just one of their pre-season games.

Pre-Season Standings: Gateshead 9-1, Darlington 7-3, The Hartlepools 7-3, Middlesbrough 6-4, Newcastle 5-5, Sunderland 5-5, Wearmouth 5-5, Jesmond 3-7, Stockton 2-8, South Shields 1-9.

Predictions: 1) Middlesbrough, 2) Wearmouth, 3) Stockton, =4) The Hartlepools/Sunderland, =6) Newcastle/Jesmond, =8) South Shields/Gateshead, 10) Darlington.

The Caledonian League is always harder to predict as there is currently no pre-season programme on which to base expectations. It is even tougher this year as nobody knows quite what to expect from last year's champions Arthur's Seat. They had not been predicted to be anywhere near the race last year and few people expect them to be near the top again, but having surprised everyone last year they will be hoping to do so again. The three teams they outlasted in last year's race, Glasgow, Govan and Leith, are this year's favourites with Govan seen as the most likely winners, while if an outsider is to come through this year it could be Tail o' the Bank, who ended last season with a winning record and shouldn't be too far off the pace this time. One thing which does appear certain is that Lanark-Renfrew will finish last again, as they look by some margin the weakest team in the league.

Pre-Season Predictions: 1) Govan, =2) Leith/Glasgow, 4) Tail o' the Bank, 5) Moncreiffe, 6) The Grange, 7) Arthur's Seat, =8) Dundee/White Cart, 10) Lanark-Renfrew.

The first season of a new league is always difficult to predict, with the Western League providing two new races this year as it is divided into English and Welsh Sections. Cheltenham and Bath looked most impressive in pre-season among the English teams, but over the course of a full season many people feel that Avon Gorge might be the strongest team. One thing everyone agrees on though is that Bristol look to be the weakest of the four. In the Welsh Section, Rhondda, Newport and Cardiff all looked very evenly matched in pre-season, with Swansea some way behind, but when it comes to the regular season Cardiff are seen as being strong favourites to advance to the championship play-off.

Pre-Season Standings:
English Section - Cheltenham 7-3, Bath 6-4, Avon 4-6, Bristol 4-6
Welsh Section - Rhondda 6-4, Newport 6-4, Cardiff 5-5, Swansea 2-8

Predictions:
English Section - 1) Avon, =2) Bath/Cheltenham, 4) Bristol
Welsh Section - 1) Cardiff, =2) Newport/Rhondda, 4) Swansea

In the Metropolitan League, Westminster have the best record so far in pre-season play with eight wins from their ten games, while the City of London Club and Limehouse sit just behind them with seven. Champions Kensington, as well as last year's runners-up Woolwich and six-time winners Putney all have six wins out of ten. At the other end of the scale, Angel, Clapham, Greenwich and Hackney are faring worst, with just three wins and seven defeats.

[as5680]

British Baseball News
Saturday 24 March 1888

On a dramatic opening day across seven different leagues, no fewer than seven pitcher started the season with complete game shutouts. Two of those were in the Lancashire League, where Blackburn and Manchester made winning starts after three-hit shutouts from Francis Cole and Mark Wood respectively. Champions Liverpool, who won their first fourteen games last year, lost on opening day at Ribble, while Oldham, Rochdale and St. Helens were the other winners. Sanderson's Weir beat champions and neighbours Sheffield to start the Yorkshire League campaign with a victory, while East of Hull snatched the win from their neighbours from the West with a ninth inning run. Bradford, Halifax and Woodhouse Lane were the other winners on day one.

Forest Gate's Eric Summerfield may be almost thirty-nine years of age but he can still produce strong performances and he began the Suburban League season with a four-hit shutout against Bexley Heath, while Wimbledon's Montgomery Allen allowed Hammersmith eight hits in his shutout effort. Champions Ealing started with a win, but highly fancied Croydon lost to Harrow, while Enfield and Tottenham also enjoyed winning starts. In the newly formed Western League, Newport's Mark Kerr and Cheltenham's Tony Shaw both recorded complete game shutouts, leading their teams to victory over Rhondda and Avon respectively. The other games saw unfancied Bristol overcome Bath, while Cardiff edged a tight game 5-4 against Swansea.

Central League champions Leicester began with a comfortable win over Trent Bridge, while their expected challengers Cannon Hill also enjoyed an opening day success as they beat Sherwood. Derby are expected to finish last but they have started with a victory over Wolverhampton, while Aston Manor and Walsall were the other winners on day one. With the new teams all facing another newcomer in the Northern Combination, two were guaranteed to start with a victory and it was Middlesbrough and Darlington who did so in dramatic style, snatching the wins in the ninth inning against Stockton and The Hartlepools respectively. Wearmouth showed that they will take some overhauling as champions as they beat Sunderland on Roland Eynon's six-hit shutout, while Jesmond and South Shields also gained victories.

In the Caledonian League, champions Arthur's Seat began by crushing last year's worst team, Lanark-Renfrew. In the battle of expected title contenders Glasgow beat Govan, while Leith also started with a win against White Cart. The other winners were Dundee and Tail o' the Bank. In the fourth round of games in the Irish League, Queen's Island and Sailortown broke a four-way tie in the Belfast Section by beating Clonard and Laganside respectively, to move jointly a game clear in first place. In the Dublin Section, Kilmainham have a one game lead after they beat Trinity while Drumcondra thrashed Rathmines to leave their opponents still without a victory yet this year.

[as5680]

British Baseball News
Saturday 31 March 1888

We reach the end of March with three games now played in most of the leagues. In the Lancashire League, everybody already has at least one win on the board with Bolton, Burnley and Moss Grove the last three teams to get off the mark with victories today. They are amongst eight teams with one win and two defeats, alongside champions Liverpool who have made a slow start. Rochdale are looking good with three wins out of three, sitting alongside St. Helens at the top of the standings. Manchester's title hopes could be over already after another injury to star pitcher Mark Wood, which could rule him out for up to half the season. Champions Sheffield lost their first two games in the Yorkshire League before beating Huddersfield today, a result which leaves Huddersfield as one of two winless teams. They are, to great surprise, alongside highly fancied West of Hull at the bottom of the standings. There is a surprise too at the top, where Bradford are the only undefeated team, ahead of a five teams with two wins each.

It has been a high scoring start in the Suburban League, led by champions Ealing who look in fantastic form to start the year. They are undefeated, alongside Forest Gate at the top of the standings, while well backed Croydon and Wimbledon are just one game worse off. Wins today for Bexley Heath and West Ham leave Kingston as the only team to lose all three of their games so far. In the Western League, Cheltenham are the only undefeated team in the English Section, but they have only played two games after their meeting with Bristol on Wednesday was postponed. They are just ahead of Avon Gorge in the standings, while Bath are the only team without a win. In the Welsh Section, Cardiff have three wins out of three and lead the way by one game from Newport. Swansea have lost all three so far.

Well fancied Cannon Hill are the only undefeated team left in the Central League, having inflicted the only loss so far on champions Leicester when the two met on Wednesday. Leicester share second place with three other teams, while Birmingham's win this afternoon left Trent Bridge as the only side still looking for their first victory. Middlesbrough are living up to expectations so far in the Northern Combination, as the newcomers edged past champions Wearmouth in extra innings today to leave themselves as the only undefeated team. Wearmouth and last year's runners-up Jesmond are part of the group on two wins, alongside another new team, Darlington. Stockton and The Hartlepools both got their first wins in the league today, to leave Newcastle as they only winless team.

Glasgow are the only team yet to lose in the Caledonian League, following defeats for both Dundee and champions Arthur's Seat today. After two defeats against Glasgow, Govan got their first win by beating Leith in a twenty-two inning marathon game this afternoon. With The Grange also winning for the first time, expected strugglers Lanark-Renfrew are the only team without a victory. All four teams in the Irish League's Belfast Section are split by a single game after seven rounds of fixtures, with Queen's Island and Sailortown a game clear of Clonard and Laganside. Kilmainham are just out in front of a much improved Trinity team in the Dublin Section, but champions Drumcondra are two games back at the moment after a poor week which saw them lose both of their games. Their defeat to Rathmines on Wednesday gave their opponents a first win of the year, the last team to get off the mark.

There is just one round of pre-season games remaining in the Metropolitan League, ahead of the start of the regular season next Saturday. At the moment Limehouse have the best pre-season record, with nine wins out of thirteen, ahead of a big group of teams who have won eight. That group includes champions Kensington as well as expected challengers Woolwich and Putney.

[MrSandlot]

This is most tremendous mate, keep it up! Cheers.

[as5680]

British Baseball News
Friday 6 April 1888

The twenty-fourth season of the Metropolitan League begins tomorrow with everyone expecting to see a three-horse race between champions Kensington, six-time winners Putney who are trying to win the title back after losing it last year and seven-time winners the City of London Club, seeking a first title in twelve years. All three shared the best pre-season record with Westminster and Limehouse, with the overall consensus being that Kensington have the best pitching and the City Club the best hitting, with Putney in between in both categories. All that may give Kensington the smallest edge, but every indication is of a very close race. Woolwich, runners-up for the past two years, may fall back into the middle of the pack this time while regular strugglers Rotherhithe look set for a much better year. Greenwich have been strong in recent years but may go the other way, falling towards the bottom of the standings, while Marylebone could be the weakest team this time around.

Pre-Season Standings: City of London Club 9-5, Kensington 9-5, Westminster 9-5, Putney 9-5, Limehouse 9-5, Marylebone 8-6, Woolwich 8-6, Rotherhithe 7-7, Highgate 6-8, Angel 5-9, Clapham 5-9, Greenwich 5-9, Peckham 5-9, Hackney 4-10.

Predictions: 1) Kensington, 2) Putney, 3) City of London, =4) Rotherhithe/Westminster, =6) Hackney/Woolwich, 8) Limehouse, =9) Peckham/Angel, 11) Clapham, 12) Greenwich, 13) Highgate, 14) Marylebone.

Also tomorrow, the Varsity Series gets underway with the University of Oxford expected to get the better of Cambridge for the third successive year. Most people believe that Oxford will take the eight game series by either five games to three or six games to two.

[as5680]

British Baseball News
Saturday 7 April 1888

With a 5-2 win over Clapham Common, Metropolitan League champions Kensington got their title defence off to the perfect start this afternoon. There were also wins for expected challengers Woolwich and the City of London Club, but Putney started with a defeat after letting slip an extra innings lead at Highgate. The other winners were Greenwich, Westminster and a Rotherhithe team who are backed to be much improved this season. The Suburban League has now seen five rounds of games and Forest Gate are the only undefeated team, after champions Ealing crashed against Hammersmith on Wednesday. Ealing are out on their own in second after Wimbledon won a big game against Croydon this afternoon, with those teams now part of a four-way tie for third. Kingston remain winless after losing both of their games this week.

Nobody is undefeated in the Lancashire League after Oldham edged out leaders Rochdale this afternoon to join them at the top of the standings. St. Helens are also in the tie for first place despite having suffered their first defeat at the hands of Liverpool on Wednesday. The champions won both their games this week and are now just one game off the top, alongside Blackburn and Moss Grove. The last undefeated record also went in the Yorkshire League today, as Bradford fell to previously winless Huddersfield. Bradford are now overtaken by three teams at the top, with Halifax, York and Sanderson's Weir all now above them after recording two wins this week. Champions Sheffield are two games off the pace despite a win over West of Hull today which leaves their opponents still winless in last place.

Nobody in undefeated in the Central League either following Cannon Hill's defeat against Aston this afternoon. They are joined at the top by champions Leicester, who won both their games this week, while a pack of teams sit just one game off the pace. Trent Bridge are still winless after two more defeats this week. Middlesbrough are out on their own in the Northern Combination after beating fellow newcomers Darlington this afternoon, while Jesmond and South Shields missed out on the chance to make it a tie for first place as they both lost. Those two teams share second with Darlington, Sunderland and champions Wearmouth who produced a late fightback to beat Gateshead today. Two more defeats for Newcastle this week leave them still without a win yet this year.

In the Caledonian League, Glasgow Distillery are still undefeated after beating both Moncreiffe and Lanark-Renfrew this week, although champions Arthur's Seat are still just one game behind them. Dundee lost ground after losing today and they share third with Leith and White Cart, while Govan are still struggling having now lost four out of five. They at least have a win though, which is more than Lanark-Renfrew can claim. In the Irish League, Sailortown lead the Belfast Section by two games after beating Queen's Island and Laganside this week, while the other three teams all have losing records at the moment. In Dublin, Kilmainham were overtaken at the top by Trinity on Wednesday but moved back ahead by winning the meeting of those two teams this afternoon. Champions Drumcondra are two games back in third.

The Western League's English Section looks very tight at the moment, with all four team split by just one game after five rounds of fixtures. Avon Gorge are leading the way, but Bristol or Cheltenham would be alongside them if they didn't have a postponed game to make up. Bath sit last, but have won their last two after starting with three defeats. In the Welsh Section the picture is very different, with Cardiff clear at the top and still undefeated while winless Swansea are adrift at the bottom of the standings. Finally today, the University of Oxford started their bid for a third successive Varsity Series success by beating Cambridge 3-1.

[as5680]

British Baseball News
Saturday 14 April 1888

Defending champions Kensington lost to both Putney on Wednesday and Greenwich today to fall off the early pace in the Metropolitan League. That pace is being set by Westminster and the City of London Club, both of whom have won all three of their games so far. Last year's runners-up Woolwich are one of a group of teams on two wins, as are Putney who completed a good week by beating winless Marylebone today. Suburban League leaders Forest Gate lost their undefeated record against West Ham this afternoon, allowing champions Ealing to move level with them at the top. Well fancied Croydon are one of three teams just a game behind after they defeated Wimbledon today. Kingston remain without a win after a heavy defeat to Hammersmith.

Oldham narrowly won the battle of the co-leaders in the Lancashire League, beating Rochdale 1-0 to move a game clear of their near neighbours. They are not a game clear of St. Helens though, as they beat Ribble to remain in a tie for first place alongside Oldham. Rochdale share third with champions Liverpool, who have now won their last three after a shaky start, as well as Moss Grove who are performing much better than expected so far. An impressive win over York this afternoon moved Halifax a game clear at the top of the Yorkshire League, with Sanderson's Weir joining York in a tie for second place by beating underachieving West of Hull. Champions Sheffield are really struggling early on, to the surprise of everyone, with their two defeats this week dropping them already four games behind Halifax.

Cannon Hill are the outright leaders of the Central League after a big win over Derby this afternoon coupled with defeat for champions Leicester at Sherwood. Having lost their first two games, Birmingham have now won their last five and join Leicester in a tie for second, while Walsall are the other team with a winning record in fourth place. Trent Bridge remain winless after seven games. Middlesbrough continue to live up to expectations in the Northern Combination, as the newcomers won both their games this week to remain top of the standings with six wins out of seven. Champions Wearmouth also recorded two wins and are just one game behind, while last year's runners-up Jesmond are a game further back in a tie for third. Newcastle still have not won a game this year, losing seven out of seven so far.

Caledonian League leaders Glasgow suffered their first defeat of the season in a shock loss to previously winless Lanark-Renfrew on Wednesday, but they remain a game clear at the top after Arthur's Seat lost to Govan on the same day. Both teams won today, keeping Glasgow a game clear of the reigning champions at the top. The other expected contenders, Leith and Govan, are off the pace after poor starts to the year. Queen's Island have closed to within a game of Sailortown in the Belfast Section of the Irish League, having won both their games this week and seen Sailortown shut out by Clonard this afternoon. Kilmainham also have a one game lead in the Dublin Section, having lost to Rathmines today while champions Drumcondra won both their games during the week.

The Western League saw the first games between the English and Welsh teams this afternoon and English teams took three of the four, with Bath's defeat to Newport the only one which went the other way. Cheltenham lead the English Section by a fraction from Avon Gorge, having been the only team in the league to win both their games this week. Cardiff's narrow defeat at the hands of Avon this afternoon was their first of the season, with their advantage in the Welsh Section being cut back to two games by Newport. Finally, Oxford have a two game lead in the Varsity Series after a ninth-inning run gave them a 1-0 win over Cambridge.

[as5680]

British Baseball News
Saturday 21 April 1888

The last undefeated records in the Metropolitan League fell today as Westminster were beaten by champions Kensington while the City of London Club lost to Greenwich. Those two are now joined by Greenwich in a three-way tie at the top after Greenwich won both their games this week, while Kensington are part of a four-way tie for fourth along with Putney, Woolwich and Hackney. Suburban League champions Ealing have fallen a game off the pace after losing twice to Croydon this week. That was enough for Croydon to move into a tie for first place with Forest Gate, who suffered a shock loss at Dartford today. Ealing share third with Wimbledon, who won twice this week, with those two set to meet twice next week. The other big news in the Suburban League was the achievement of Forest Gate's Charles Goddard in recording his one hundredth home run, the first man in any league to reach that mark in the eleventh season of his career.

Oldham's surprise defeat to Manchester on Wednesday, combined with two defeats for St. Helens against Toxteth, has allowed Lancashire League champions Liverpool to move into a tie at the top. They beat Blackburn twice this week and have now won their last five, sharing top position with Oldham. Rochdale and Moss Grove share third with St. Helens after both had a win and a loss this week. In the Yorkshire League, Halifax are a game clear at the top despite a narrow loss to Bradford on Wednesday. They moved clear when Sanderson's Weir were edged out by York this afternoon, a result which leaves both those teams a game behind. Halifax continued Sheffield's troubles by beating them easily and dropping the champions four games off the pace. Elsewhere, there was a wonderful no-hit performance from Maurice Maxwell of West of Hull on Wednesday, shutting down Woodhouse Lane to record the fourth such game in Yorkshire League history.

Leicester look set to face a tough battle to hold on to the Central League crown this year as Cannon Hill have opened up a two game lead at the top, their two wins this week extending their winning run to four. Leicester lost to neighbours St. Margaret's today to drop further behind, while third placed Birmingham lost both of their games and have been caught by Walsall and Sherwood. Trent Bridge earned their first win by beating Derby on Wednesday. In the Northern Combination, Middlesbrough saw their two game lead cut in half when they lost to fellow newcomers The Hartlepools today. That was a fifth successive win for The Hartlepools and they share second place with Jesmond, who are also on a fine run and thrashed Gateshead today. Champions Wearmouth are two games back in fourth place after two defeats this week, including falling victim to Newcastle's first win of the season this afternoon.

Glasgow Distillery look as though they will be tough to stop in the Caledonian League this year as two wins this week have taken them to a two game lead in the standings having won eight out of nine. They moved further clear because champions Arthur's Seat lost to Tail o' the Bank this afternoon, a win which moves them level with the champions in second place. In the Irish League, most teams only had a Wednesday game this week and Sailortown moved two games clear again in the Belfast Section, as they beat Clonard and Queen's Island lost to Laganside. Champions Drumcondra moved level with Kilmainham in the Dublin Section, as they beat Trinity while Kilmainham slipped up against Rathmines. The coming week will be important in both sections as the top two teams in each meet one another twice.

Avon Gorge have taken over as leaders of the Western League's English Section, having won both their games in the past week while previous leaders Cheltenham were beaten at Rhondda today. The gap is very small though, unlike the margin in the Welsh Section where Cardiff are looking capable of running away with first place. They won both their games again this week and have now won eight out of nine, while nobody else has a winning record. Newport are in second place, but they lost both their games this week and are now four behind Cardiff. In this week's Varsity Series game, the University of Cambridge revived their hopes of taking the title for the first time after battling through 5-4 in extra innings. Oxford still lead the series, but now only by two games to one.

[as5680]

British Baseball News
Saturday 28 April 1888

April comes to an end with everything looking very close in the Metropolitan League, after two defeats this week for the City of London Club and a loss this afternoon for Westminster against in-form Hackney. That win brings Hackney into a tie at the top with Westminster, as well as Greenwich and also Woolwich, who snatched a win from the City Club in the ninth inning. The City Club are a game behind, alongside Kensington and Putney who both had a win and a loss this week. In the Suburban League, Croydon are a game clear at the top after extending their winning run to five games, while Forest Gate crashed twice against Enfield. Ealing beat Wimbledon in both their meetings and they sit one game behind Croydon in second, while Forest Gate now share second place with Harrow and West Ham, who are both enjoying fine runs at the moment. After ten games, Kingston are still yet to win this season.

Rochdale end the month back on top of the Lancashire League standings after beating Moss Grove twice this week while champions Liverpool were losing both of their meetings with Burnley. Oldham also lost twice at the hands of Irwell, results which mean that Burnley and Irwell have now joined Liverpool and Oldham in a four-way tie for second place. Halifax and York are looking very good in the Yorkshire League, both recording two wins this week to leave Halifax still one game ahead in first place. A gap is starting to open up behind those two though, as Sanderson's Weir narrowly lost both of their meetings with neighbours Sheffield. Weir are now three games off the pace, alongside both Leeds and Woodhouse, while champions Sheffield are improving but remain four games behind Halifax.

Central League teams had Wednesday off this week but in today's action, Cannon Hill beat Birmingham to extend their winning run to five and maintain a two game lead over Leicester, who also won. Third place is shared by Sherwood and Walsall after they both also recorded victories to remain three games behind the leaders. In the Northern Combination, newcomers Middlesbrough are two games clear at the top again after they beat near neighbours Stockton in both this week's meetings, while second placed Jesmond lost Wednesday's game against improving Newcastle. Two more new teams, Darlington and The Hartlepools, are in a three-way tie for third alongside Sunderland, who beat champions Wearmouth twice. Wearmouth have now lost their last four and are four games off the pace.

It was also a Wednesday off in the Caledonian League, but today was a bad day for leaders Glasgow as they were beaten at home by Leith. Their lead at the top has been cut to a single game by in-form Tail o' the Bank, who recorded another victory over champions Arthur's Seat to extend their winning run to five games. The defeat drops the champions two games off the pace, alongside White Cart who beat Moncreiffe Island. In the Irish League, it is as you were after everybody had a win and a loss this week. Belfast Section leaders Sailortown won their first game against Queen's Island to move three clear, but lost the return game today as the gap reduced to two again. Drumcondra edged a game ahead in the Dublin Section by beating Kilmainham on Wednesday, but Kilmainham hit back today to draw level again.

Apart from Cheltenham beating Bristol in a rescheduled game, Western League clubs had the day off today but there was a full programme on Wednesday. With Cheltenham having lost to Cardiff, Avon Gorge took advantage to edge further ahead by beating Rhondda and their lead in the English Section is now a full game. The win over Cheltenham keeps Cardiff's excellent run going in the Welsh Section, although their lead remains steady at four games after Newport also recorded a victory. This year's Varsity Series is providing many close games, with today's battle the third one-run game in succession, but Oxford are still getting the better of Cambridge. Their win today was their second 1-0 success of the year, moving them three games to one ahead in the series.

[as5680]

British Baseball News
Saturday 5 May 1888

The four-way tie at the top of the Metropolitan League is down to two after defeats for Woolwich against Rotherhithe on Wednesday and then for Greenwich at the hands of Putney today. That leaves surprise early contenders Hackney, winners of their last five games, at the top alongside Westminster. Greenwich and Woolwich share third with Putney, but champions Kensington slipped two games off the pace when they lost to Limehouse this afternoon. After a day off on Wednesday, Croydon let slip the outright lead in the Suburban League when they lost at home to Tottenham this afternoon. That allowed Ealing to join them at the top, with Harrow sitting just behind in third place having now won their last five. Forest Gate are fading after a good start and have lost their last four, but there was finally some joy for Kingston who got their first win at the eleventh attempt.

Lancashire League clubs also had Wednesday off, before leaders Rochdale maintained their one game advantage by thrashing Toxteth this afternoon. They are being chased by Burnley, who are making a much better start than anyone expected and beat Oldham this afternoon to extend their winning run to three. Both Oldham and champions Liverpool have lost their last three and slip into a five-way tie for third. It was an awful week for Halifax in the Yorkshire League as they lost to both Leeds and West of Hull and slipped off the top of the standings. They are replaced as leaders by York, who beat West of Hull and struggling Huddersfield to extend their winning run to five. Near neighbours Leeds and Woodhouse are going better than expected and share third after both won twice this week, while champions Sheffield are finding form at last and have now won their last four to edge up the standings.

Central League champions Leicester beat leaders Cannon Hill on Wednesday to cut the gap at the top to just a single game. Cannon Hill remain one clear after both won this afternoon. Sherwood had moved clear in third on Wednesday but their defeat against Cannon Hill today means that they now share that position with Birmingham and Walsall. With second placed Jesmond losing to Sunderland on Wednesday, Middlesbrough now lead the Northern Combination by three games as they look to prove right those who said they would take the title at the first attempt. Jesmond rebounded by beating The Hartlepools today and share second place with Sunderland, who have won their last four. Champions Wearmouth ended a five game losing run by beating Stockton this afternoon, but are now five games off the pace.

Caledonian League leaders Glasgow were beaten by The Grange this afternoon but they still hold on to a one game lead at the top because Tail o' the Bank also slipped up against improving Govan. Champions Arthur's Seat won both their games to move back into a tie for second, while White Cart are in that tie as well as they beat last placed Lanark-Renfrew twice to continue their surprisingly good start to the campaign. In the Irish League, Sailortown are three games clear in the Belfast Section again after pitcher Daniel Lark recorded two complete games shutouts against Laganside in the first two starts of his career. That moved his team further clear after Queen's Island and Clonard shared two games. In the Dublin Section, Drumcondra's defeat to Rathmines on Wednesday allowed Kilmainham to move a game clear by beating Trinity twice.

Having moved two games clear on Wednesday, Avon Gorge saw their lead in the Western League's English Section reduced to one again today as they were narrowly beaten by Cardiff. Their closest challengers are now Bath, who had impressive wins over Rhondda and Newport this week to move up to second place. Cardiff continue to dominate the Welsh Section, having won their last five and eleven out of twelve all season. Newport remain second but their defeat to Bath this afternoon means that they only have an even record and are already five games behind Cardiff. In this week's Varsity Series game, the University of Cambridge held off a late Oxford comeback to win another one-run game, by a score of 6-5. The win reduces Oxford's series lead to three games to two.

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British Baseball News
Saturday 12 May 1888

The Hackney Exiles are the surprise outright leaders of the Metropolitan League after they extended their winning run to seven this week, while Westminster were beaten at Putney this afternoon. Woolwich won both their games to move into a tie for second place with Westminster, while Putney and Greenwich share fourth place, two games off the pace. Champions Kensington are a further game behind. With five successive wins, champions Ealing are a game clear at the top of the Suburban League after Croydon suffered another defeat at the hands of Tottenham on Wednesday. Harrow had moved into a tie for second by winning their midweek game, but slipped back again after they lost at Enfield today and they now share third with a Wimbledon team who finally seem to be putting a consistent run of form together.

Defeat at Toxteth on Wednesday did not cost Rochdale the outright lead in the Lancashire League, because Burnley were also beaten. Those results allowed in-form Blackburn and champions Liverpool to join Burnley in a tie for second, which remains the situation after today's games as the top four teams all won. Rochdale lead by one from the pack of three teams behind them, but Oldham seem to be fading back into the middle of the standings after losing to St. Helens today. York's defeat against Leeds on Wednesday allowed Halifax to claim back a share of first place in the Yorkshire League, with those two teams now having a two game gap between themselves and the chasing pack. Leeds lost ground after being beaten by champions Sheffield this afternoon, a win which gives Sheffield a winning record for the year and keeps them just three games off the pace.

Despite losing at St. Margaret's this afternoon, it was still a good week for Central League leaders Cannon Hill. as champions Leicester lost both of their games to drop two games behind. They are now in a second place tie with surprise package Sherwood, who won both of their games against Wolverhampton and Walsall. Middlesbrough are looking tough to stop in the Northern Combination at the moment as two more wins this week extended their run to six in succession. Their nearest challengers are now fellow newcomers The Hartlepools, after Jesmond and Sunderland both suffered two defeats. The gap at the top is four games, with Jesmond and Sunderland five behind alongside a Wearmouth team who seem to be finding their form at last with three successive wins.

Not for the first time this season, Tail o' the Bank missed a chance to join Glasgow at the top of the Caledonian League as both teams were beaten this afternoon. Glasgow's defeat meant a split of their two games with White Cart and kept White Cart in the chase themselves. They and Tail o' the Bank are both just a game behind the leaders, but champions Arthur's Seat are two back after suffering two defeats at the hands of The Grange. They meet Glasgow twice in the coming week, giving them a chance to catch up. Sailortown's advantage in the Irish League's Belfast Section is back down to two after they shared their games with Clonard this week, while Queen's Island won both against a Laganside team who appear to have little chance of repeating last year's first place finish. There is a tie at the top of the Dublin Section again, as Kilmainham could only share their games with Rathmines while champions Drumcondra beat Trinity twice.

In the Western League, a narrow win over Swansea on Wednesday moved Bath level with Avon at the top of the English Section. They remain level after today's games, all of which saw wins for the Welsh Section clubs against their English rivals. Newport's victory moved them back up to an even record for the year, but their defeat to Bristol on Wednesday saw them fall six games behind a Cardiff team who look absolutely unstoppable at the moment. Finally this week, the University of Cambridge missed a glorious chance to level the Varsity Series at three games each when they let slip a lead with two outs in the ninth inning, eventually falling to Oxford in the tenth. The win gives Oxford a four games to two lead and means they need just one more win to secure a third successive title.

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British Baseball News
Saturday 19 May 1888

At the one-quarter mark in the season, Hackney share first place in the Metropolitan League with Westminster, after their defeat at the hands of Greenwich today combined with Westminster's two wins in the past week. Greenwich's win puts them into a four-way tie for third place, two games behind the leading two, alongside champions Kensington who have now won their last three. Putney, who had a win and a loss this week, are also in that group as are Woolwich who lost both their games. In the Suburban League, Ealing still have a one game lead after extending their winning run to seven, but they had to come back from ninth inning deficits against against both Tottenham and Forest Gate to do so. Croydon keep the pressure on with two wins of their own to remain just a game behind, while Harrow are two back having also won both their games.

In the Lancashire League, Rochdale now have a two game advantage after beating Ribble and St. Helens this week, while both Blackburn and Burnley lost this afternoon and champions Liverpool dropped both their games. Blackburn and Burnley are joined an a three-way tie for second place by Oldham after they beat Liverpool today, while the champions share fifth with Irwell, three games off the pace. A narrow 5-4 victory for Halifax over York on Wednesday moved them a game ahead of their opponents at the top of the Yorkshire League, with both teams winning today to keep the gap the same. Leeds are two back in third after winning twice this week, while champions Sheffield also recorded two wins and have now won eight of their last ten. They remain three games off the pace in fourth place but have overtaken neighbours Sanderson's Weir, who lost twice this week.

The top three teams in the Central League all had a win and a defeat this week, meaning that Cannon Hill still have a two game lead over Sherwood and Leicester. Leicester had fallen three back when they lost to Derby on Wednesday, but Cannon Hill's defeat to Aston this afternoon allowed them to close the gap back to two. Aston have won their last four games and are now just three games behind the leaders. It is starting to look as though nobody will be able to get near to Middlesbrough in the Northern Combination, as the newcomers have now won their last eight games and with The Hartlepools losing to Sunderland this afternoon, Middlesbrough now lead the standings by five clear games. The win for Sunderland draws them level with The Hartlepools for second place, while last season's top two Wearmouth and Jesmond share fourth after Wearmouth won their meeting today.

Caledonian League leaders Glasgow have been caught at the top of the standings after only sharing their two games with Arthur's Seat this week. The team to draw level are White Cart, enjoying by far their best season to date, who beat Dundee twice. Tail o' the Bank stay a game behind after sharing their meetings with The Grange, while Arthur's Seat are two games off the pace in fourth. Defeat to Drumcondra today saw Queen's Island drop two games behind Sailortown again in the Irish League's Belfast Section, after they had closed the gap to one on Wednesday when Drumcondra also beat Sailortown. Those two wins for the reigning champions allowed them to move a game clear in the Dublin Section, as Kilmainham were beaten by Queen's Island on Wednesday.

Victory over Avon Gorge this afternoon moved Bath two games clear at the top of the English Section of the Western League, with Avon now having lost their last five games to drop back to an even record. The Welsh Section looks to be no contest at all in the inaugural season after Cardiff extended their winning run to nine games and their lead in the standings to eight. The other three teams all have losing records as nobody seems able to make a challenge. Finally today, the University of Oxford secured their third successive win in the Varsity Series by beating Cambridge 3-0. The win puts them ahead by five games to two with just one more to play, but just like last year Cambridge will be regretting some close defeats earlier in the series.

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British Baseball News
Saturday 26 May 1888

After a Wednesday off, the co-leaders of the Metropolitan League were both beaten this afternoon as Westminster were edged out by Peckham and Hackney crashed at home to Woolwich. Woolwich's win drew them up to within one game of the leaders, while Putney and Kensington also closed to just a single game behind by winning their games, although Greenwich failed to do likewise when they lost to Limehouse. In the Suburban League, champions Ealing have now won their last nine but they can't shake off Croydon, who have a five game winning run of their own and remain just a single game back after another good week for both the top two. Harrow's defeat to Tottenham on Wednesday saw them slip three games behind and they now share third place with a surprisingly in-form West Ham, winners of their last five.

Rochdale's advantage at the top of the Lancashire League remains at two games after they won twice this week but Blackburn did likewise. Defeats for Burnley and Oldham this afternoon see them drop three games behind the leaders, while currently nobody else has a winning record. That is because Irwell lost both their games this week while champions Liverpool have now dropped their last four and have already lost as many games as they did in the whole of last season. In the Yorkshire League, York's defeat to Sheffield today allowed Halifax to open up a two game lead at the top after they extended their winning run to six games. Sheffield are now up into a tie for third place with Leeds, who lost twice this week, with both those teams sitting four games behind the leaders.

When Central League leaders Cannon Hill having lost to Walsall on Wednesday, champions Leicester and surprise challengers Sherwood both moved to within a single game at the top of the standings. Those two then met today, with Sherwood coming out on top, leaving them still just one behind and dropping the champions two games off the pace in third. Two wins in the week moved Walsall clear in fourth, three games behind Cannon Hill. It is already looking near certain that Middlesbrough will win the Northern Combination at the first attempt after they extended their lead at the top to six games by beating Sunderland this afternoon, their tenth successive win. Champions Wearmouth drew level with Sunderland in second by winning both their games this week and they may yet be the strongest challengers to Middlesbrough's dominance.

The position is largely unchanged in Scotland this week as the co-leaders of the Caledonian League, Glasgow and White Cart, both won on Wednesday before losing today. Glasgow shared two games with Tail o' the Bank, who are still a game behind the top two in third, while champions Arthur's Seat also had a mixed week leaving them still two games behind in fourth. In Ireland, Belfast Section leaders Sailortown had a bad week, losing to Trinity and Kilmainham, allowing Queen's Island to move to within a single game while Clonard are now just two behind after winning both their games during the week. The gap is also one game in the Dublin Section, where both Drumcondra and Kilmainham lost on Wednesday but won this afternoon.

In the Western League, Bath lead the English Section by three games at the one-third point in the season after extending their winning run to four. Cheltenham are back up into second place having won their last three, while early season leaders Avon have lost their last seven. The Welsh Section seems to be decided already as Cardiff's lead is already an astonishing ten games even though only eighteen have been played, Cardiff having won seventeen of them. Second placed Newport have now lost their last four and are well below an even record. Finally today, the Varsity Series came to an end with already crowned champions Oxford losing the final game 2-1 in extra innings against Cambridge. Cambridge lose the series five games to three and will be haunted by their loss in game six, when they were within one out of levelling at three games each before letting victory slip away.

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British Baseball News
Saturday 2 June 1888

Hackney are clear at the top of the Metropolitan League after beating both Peckham and Rotherhithe this week, while Westminster slipped back when they lost at the hands of Limehouse and Highgate. Westminster have been overtaken by Putney and Woolwich, who both won twice and are just a game behind Hackney. Champions Kensington are level with Westminster in fourth after losing their big game against Putney on Wednesday. Ealing's long undefeated run in the Suburban League ended at the hands of West Ham this afternoon, but they still moved further clear this week as second placed Croydon lost both their games to slip two behind. With Harrow also losing twice, West Ham are clear in third and just three games behind Ealing in what is turning out to be their best season to date.

Rochdale's winning run in the Lancashire League is up to seven games and with Blackburn losing to Oldham on Wednesday, the gap at the top of the standings has increased to three. That win for Oldham moved them into a tie for second place with Blackburn, but Burnley are dropping further back after two defeats. Champions Liverpool also lost twice and have now dropped their last six games to plunge into the bottom half of the standings. Apart from one rescheduled game, Wednesday was a day off in Yorkshire but this afternoon the top two teams both won so Halifax still have a two game lead over York. With Leeds losing to East of Hull, champions Sheffield are now on their own in third place but they are still four games behind a Halifax team who have won their last seven.

The Central League and Northern Combination both also had Wednesday off and in today's action, Sherwood Rise moved level with Cannon Hill at the top of the Central League by winning the battle of the top two. The teams meet again on Wednesday with the outright lead on the line. Champions Leicester also won today and are just a game behind the co-leaders, while Birmingham moved level with Walsall in fourth. Middlesbrough look unstoppable in the Northern Combination after beating Gateshead this afternoon to extend their winning run to eleven. Sunderland and Wearmouth remain tied for second but with both losing today, they are now seven games off the pace. The rest of the league is quite evenly matched, with three more teams just a game behind Sunderland and Wearmouth, but nobody is challenging Middlesbrough at the moment.

There was also a blank Wednesday in the Caledonian League, with Glasgow and White Cart remaining tied for first place at the end of today's action after both recorded victories. It was a good day all round for the leading teams, as Tail o' the Bank and Arthur's Seat also won to remain respectively one and two games behind the leaders. Most of the Irish League teams had one win and one loss this week, which leaves one game margins at the top of both sections of the standings. Sailortown lead Queen's Island by one in Belfast, while in Dublin Drumcondra remain one clear of Kilmainham. In the Western League, Bath end the week four games clear in the English Section after extending their winning run to six, while Cheltenham lost both of their games and drop to third below Avon Gorge. In the Welsh Section, Cardiff were beaten for only the second time this season when Swansea got the better of them today, allowing Newport to chip away a little at their huge lead as their two wins reduced the gap to nine.

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British Baseball News
Saturday 9 June 1888

Hackney still lead Putney by a single game at the top of the Metropolitan League after both teams won twice this week, but Woolwich have dropped out of a tie for second place after they were beaten by Peckham on Wednesday. They now share third with champions Kensington, who also won both of their games, one of which was against a Westminster team who look as though they may be fading after a good start just as they did last season. Ealing's lead in the Suburban League is back down to a single game after they slipped up against Enfield this afternoon, allowing Croydon to close the gap. West Ham's recent good run has come to an end as they lost twice and drop back into a four-way tie for fourth place, alongside Enfield, Harrow and Wimbledon who all had a mixed week. Those four teams are all four games behind Ealing.

Defeat to Liverpool on Wednesday saw Rochdale's lead at the top of the Lancashire League cut to two games, but they promptly restored it to three this afternoon by comfortably beating second placed Blackburn. The pressue is now on Blackburn to win Wednesday's return game. Oldham stay third but have dropped further behind after losing both of their games and are now four games off the pace. In the Yorkshire League, Halifax edged a little further clear at the top because York's game at lowly Huddersfield on Wednesday was postponed. Halifax beat both West of Hull and Leeds this week and have now won their last nine as they look to win the title for the first time. Champions Sheffield have won their last four but at the moment they are not able to make up any ground on the leaders.

It was a perfect week for Cannon Hill in the Central League as they beat Sherwood on Wednesday to move clear at the top again, before adding an extra innings win over champions Leicester today. That defeat drops Leicester two games behind, but Sherwood are still just one back after they rebounded to beat Aston this afternoon. Fourth placed Birmingham are three games off the pace having won their last three. Middlesbrough's long winning run goes on in the Northern Combination, but at least their lead at the top didn't get any larger this week as Sunderland also won both their games to stay seven behind. Those two teams are the only ones with winning records though, with champions Wearmouth losing more ground as they were beaten twice, including a loss against Middlesbrough this afternoon.

With Glasgow and White Cart both having a win and a loss in the past week, the two co-leaders of the Caledonian League have become three. Tail o' the Bank have joined those two teams at the top by beating both Moncreiffe and Dundee to extend their winning run to four. Champions Arthur's Seat are the only other team with a winning record, but they failed to close to within a single game when they lost to White Cart this afternoon. Despite a heavy loss to Trinity today, Sailortown extended their lead at the top of the Irish League's Belfast Section to two games this week because Queen's Island lost twice. They are now tied for second with Clonard, but both teams only have even records. Drumcondra also extended their lead in the Dublin Section to two on Wednesday, but their defeat to Clonard today allowed Kilmainham to close to within one again.

In the Western League, Wednesday was a day off but in today's place Bath saw their lead in the English Section cut to three games when they lost to Bristol. Avon, back in form after a poor run in recent weeks, beat Cheltenham to close the gap at the top and move back up to a winning record. In the Welsh Section, Cardiff suffered a second successive loss against Swansea having only been beaten once in nineteen games prior to that. The other three teams still have losing records, but Newport have won their last three and Cardiff's lead is down from ten a couple of weeks ago to eight games now.

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British Baseball News
Saturday 16 June 1888

With Hackney losing to champions Kensington on Wednesday, Putney have moved into a tie at the top of the Metropolitan League after the six-time winners extended their winning run to seven games this week. Kensington have won the last five themselves and are just a game behind the two leaders, but Woolwich lost both their games this week and have dropped three games off the pace into a fourth-place tie with Greenwich. In the Suburban League, Ealing suffered a second successive loss at the hands of Enfield on Wednesday and although they won today, they have been caught at the top by Croydon who had two wins this week. Enfield and Wimbledon both recorded two wins and they are tied for third, three games behind the co-leaders, but Harrow are dropping back after losing to Croydon today.

Another win over Blackburn on Wednesday moved Rochdale four games clear at the top of the Lancashire League, with the gap still at four after both won this afternoon. Oldham and Burnley also both lost ground on Wednesday with defeats, putting them five and six games respectively behind the leaders. Liverpool are also six behind, the champions finally finding some of last year's form as they have now won their last four. Halifax's long winning run in the Yorkshire League was ended with a 1-0 defeat at East of Hull this afternoon, allowing York to edge a little closer as they won both their games this week. Sheffield could not take advantage of Halifax's slip though, as they were beaten by Leeds and remain four games behind the leaders in third place. Last placed Huddersfield still have just two wins from twenty-three games and could be threatening their own record for the lowest ever winning percentage.

Another win over Leicester on Wednesday, combined with two losses in the week for Sherwood, enabled Cannon Hill to move three games ahead at the top of the Central League. They have now won their last four to pull clear, while Leicester and Sherwood share second. Birmingham could have joined them had they beaten Derby today, but slipped up to remain four games off the pace. In the Northern Combination, Middlesbrough's were finally beaten on Wednesday as they were shut out by champions Wearmouth. Although they won today, their lead at the top is down to six games as second placed Sunderland won twice. Wearmouth are two games further back in third place, but another title is looking a long way off for them at the moment.

All three co-leaders in the Caledonian League won on Wednesday, but this afternoon Tail o' the Bank took the outright lead for the first time ever as they crushed fellow contenders White Cart 20-0 in an astonishing game. Glasgow also lost against last placed Lanark-Renfrew, leaving them tied for second with White Cart. Champions Arthur's Seat lost both their games and are now four games behind the leaders, with the championship starting to look as though it may be a three-horse race. Victory over Avon Gorge today moved Bath four games ahead again in the Western League's English Section, while in the Welsh Section Cardiff seem to be over their recent slip as they won twice, including victory over Newport today which puts them nine games clear again.

In the Irish League, Sailortown only lead the Belfast Section by a single game now as they lost to Drumcondra today while Queen's Island won both of their games. Drumcondra's win moves them back a game clear of Kilmainham in the Dublin Section, after they had been caught on Wednesday, because Kilmainham lost to Queen's Island this afternoon. Also of note today was the game between Rathmines and Laganside, which produced more base hits than any other game in any league to date. In a fourteen inning battle, Rathmines edged the score 9-8 but were outhit twenty-seven to twenty-four, the combined fifty-one hits some eight more than had ever been seen before.

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British Baseball News
Saturday 23 June 1888

Metropolitan League champions Kensington Victoria find themselves out in front on their own at the top of the standings despite the postponement of their game against Limehouse today. That is because they beat Peckham on Wednesday, while fellow contenders Hackney and Putney both lost twice during the week. They fall a fraction behind Kensington and are being chased hard by Greenwich and Woolwich, both of whom won twice this week and are just one game further behind. The Suburban League race could involve more than just Croydon and Ealing after the co-leaders both lost on Wednesday, allowing in-form Enfield and Wimbledon to move to within just two games. All four won today, meaning that Enfield and Wimbledon have both won their last five games.

Blackburn's narrow defeat to Ribble today means that Rochdale are now five games clear at the top of the Lancashire League, as they look for their second title in three seasons. They have won their last five and look very strong, while nobody else seems to be able to put a consistent run together. Oldham remain a game behind Blackburn in third, while champions Liverpool are one of four teams tied for fourth but they are only barely able to boast winning records. Yorkshire League leaders Halifax stumbled again on Wednesday when they suffered a second successive 1-0 loss against East of Hull, allowing York to close to within less that a game. Sadly for York, they gave the game back this afternoon when they lost at home to Leeds as Halifax were beating Woodhouse. The real beneficiaries were Sheffield, with the champions winning twice to close to within three games of Halifax. It was also a rare good week for lowly Huddersfield, who beat both Sanderson's Weir and Bradford to double their season win total from two to four.

Cannon Hill started the week three games clear at the top of the Central League but they end it with just a single game advantage, having lost to both St. Margaret's and last placed Trent Bridge. Champions Leicester and fellow contenders Sherwood both won twice to move to within one game. Despite losing to Derby on Wednesday, fourth place Birmingham are only three games off the pace. Sunderland's defeat to Newcastle on Wednesday means that Middlesbrough are once more seven games ahead in the Northern Combination. Champions Wearmouth are on a four-game winning run and are the only other team with a winning record, but they are eight games behind the leaders and with Middlesbrough having lost just three all season, face a real struggle to hold on to the crown.

It isn't yet the midway point of the season but Tail o' the Bank look every bit potential champions of the Caledonian League as they recorded two more wins this week to extend their run to eight and move further clear at the top. Glasgow fell two behind after losing to Dundee today, while White Cart lost both their games including one to Tail o' the Bank and are now three off the pace. Leith are up to fourth, ahead of champions Arthur's Seat who have lost their last five and seem to have little chance of retaining the title. The Irish League has reached half-way and Sailortown still lead the Belfast Section by one game despite losing to Kilmainham on Wednesday. Queen's Island, who began the week in second, lost both of their games and have been overtaken by Clonard, who won both of theirs. The position has changed in the Dublin Section after champions Drumcondra lost to both Laganside and Clonard, allowing Kilmainham to overtake them with two victories in the week.

At the moment, it looks likely that the first championship play-off in the Western League will be between Bath and Cardiff. There is still a long way to go, but Avon's defeat to Cardiff on Wednesday meant that Bath were able to move five games clear at the top of the English Section by winning both of their games. Over in Wales, Cardiff are now an incredible eleven games ahead of anybody else as they won twice while Newport were beaten by Bath and Cheltenham. Newport are still second, but they have won just eleven games out of twenty-five and don't look like potential challengers.

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British Baseball News
Saturday 30 June 1888

The end of June marks the half-way point of the season in most leagues, except for the Irish League which got there last week and the Metropolitan League which is still one week away. It is a good time to take a more detailed look at how the season is shaping up and at the moment, there are a number of leagues where we can clearly see who the likely champions are. However, there are several others which look set for fascinating battles in the second half of the campaign.

The Metropolitan League definitely falls into the latter category, with champions Kensington still on top but having three teams within a fraction of them. With Putney losing on Wednesday and Hackney slipping up today, Kensington had a chance to move further clear had they extended their seven game winning run to eight by beating a Rotherhithe team who had lost their last eleven. Shockingly, Rotherhithe won it 1-0 to keep Kensington very close to the chasing pack. The in-form team are now Greenwich, who beat both Woolwich and Angel this week to extend their own winning run to seven and join Hackney and Putney in a tie for second. Woolwich are just a game further behind, with the City of London Club another game back in sixth. Last place seems to be between Rotherhithe, Angel and Marylebone at the moment with the Regents currently a game behind.

Rochdale reach half-way with a five game lead in the Lancashire League, having restored that advantage by beating Oldham and seeing Blackburn lose to Burnley today. The gap had come down to four on Wednesday when Rochdale were stunned by lowly Manchester, but they immediately got back on track. Champions Liverpool have joined Oldham in a tie for third and look to be rediscovering some of last year's form, but they are still six games behind and have much to do to hold on to the title. Burnley and Ribble are the other teams with winning records, as Moss Grove and St. Helens have hit poor form to drop down the standings. Two wins in the past week for Manchester have left Toxteth, who lost both of their games, three adrift in last place.

Halifax moved a game further clear at the top of the Yorkshire League this week after winning their two games while both York and Sheffield were beaten on Wednesday. York have a rescheduled game against last placed Huddersfield to come this week and Halifax's lead at half-way will be determined by the outcome. Should York lose, Halifax will be three clear but if York win as expected the margin will only be two. Sheffield are four games back but having recovered well from a poor start to the year, are very much in the running for a third successive crown. With three successive wins, Leeds are clear in fourth and are the only other team with a winning record, but a six game deficit is a lot to make up. Huddersfield enjoyed a third successive win on Wednesday, their second in a few days over a Bradford team who have lost their last six, to raise Huddersfield's hopes that they might yet escape last place.

The Suburban League is looking almost as close as the Metropolitan League at the moment, as Croydon and Ealing continue to falter. Croydon fell victim to in-form Wimbledon's seventh successive win today, while Ealing were beaten by a Harrow team recovering from their own poor run. Those results, combined with Enfield extending their own winning run to seven, means that Enfield and Wimbledon are now just a single game behind the two co-leaders. Forest Gate also won twice this week and they and Harrow are four games behind, while West Ham also have a winning record but are in poor form at the moment. Kingston have the worst record in the country at the moment and their defeat to Hammersmith this afternoon means that they are now five games adrift in last place.

The Central League is another competition set for an exciting title race as three teams are split by just one game at the half-way point there. Defeat to Aston on Wednesday had dropped champions Leicester two games Cannon Hill and one behind Sherwood, but they won today and both of their rivals lost. That means that Leicester are once again tied with Sherwood for second place, a single game behind Cannon Hill. Fourth placed Birmingham had suffered a disappointing defeat to Walsall on Wednesday but their win over Cannon Hill today means they are just three games behind, while Aston and Walsall also both have winning records. Trent Bridge have looked set to finish last for much of the season, although their win over Sherwood this afternoon moved them to within three games of St. Margaret's.

One place where there seems no chance of a close race is in the Northern Combination, where newcomers Middlesbrough continue to dominate the league. Having been overlooked for membership of the Yorkshire League and then engineered their place in the Northern Combination, they were determined to prove their strength from the start and two more wins this week mean they reach half-way having only lost three games out of twenty-eight. Sunderland and Wearmouth are the only other teams with winning records, with Sunderland two clear of Wearmouth in second having won their meeting today, but they remain seven behind Middlesbrough. Of the other new teams, Stockton are improving after a poor start while The Hartlepools and Darlington are struggling after starting well, Darlington's eight game losing run now leaving them just one ahead of last placed Gateshead.

The Caledonian League had looked set for a tight battle a few weeks ago but suddenly Tail o' the Bank are surging clear at the top. They beat both Lanark-Renfrew and Arthur's Seat this week to extend their winning run to ten games, today's victory condemning Arthur's Seat to a seventh successive loss as their hopes of another title are in tatters. Tail o' the Bank now have a four game lead at the top after Glasgow lost both of their games this week while White Cart also slipped up today. Those two now have the teams who beat them today, Leith and Moncreiffe, closing on on them in the standings on the back of winning runs of six and five games respectively. At the bottom of the standings, Lanark-Renfrew had looked set to be well adrift earlier in the season but their win over Dundee today means that the gap between those two is now down to three games.

Both sections of the Irish League see teams with two game leads after the first round of games in the second half of the season. In Belfast, Clonard were beaten by Kilmainham to drop two behind leaders Sailortown, who shut out Rathmines. Queen's Island join Clonard in second after beating Drumcondra, while last year's section winners Laganside are four games behind in last place. In Dublin, Drumcondra's defeat against Queen's Island was their third loss in succession and saw them drop two games behind Kilmainham, who have won their last three. Just like the Belfast Section, the gap at the bottom of the standings is four games with Trinity well behind Rathmines at the moment.

Neither section of the Western League is looking very competitive in the league's inaugural season, although the English Section does at least appear to have one team who might challenge the leaders. Bath reach the midway point with a five game lead having beaten both Cardiff and Swansea this week to extend their winning run to six games, but Avon Gorge also won twice and are in a good run of form themselves. They remain five behind though, while at the other end Bristol are three games behind Cheltenham in last place. Welsh Section leaders Cardiff lost to both and Cheltenham this week in an unusually poor week for them, but it is already clear that nobody else in the section can challenge them this year. Newport are somehow still in second place but have lost their last five and are nowhere near an even record. Swansea's win over Bristol on Wednesday moved them three games clear of last placed Rhondda.

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British Baseball News
Saturday 7 July 1888

There is a real scramble at the top of the Metropolitan League at the moment as five teams are now split by less than one game. Greenwich had taken the outright lead on Wednesday when they won an eighth successive game and Kensington, Hackney and Putney all lost, but Greenwich were beaten by Hackney today to allow Kensington to move out in front again. With the season now at the half-way mark, Kensington face Limehouse in a rescheduled game on Wednesday which will determine whether they have a one game lead or drop into a five-way tie with Greenwich, Hackney, Putney and Woolwich. Croydon and Ealing remain tied at the top of the Suburban League ahead of their two big clashes in the coming week after both won today. Enfield also won, their eighth successive victory, to remain one behind but Wimbledon's defeat to Croydon drops them two games off the pace.

Rochdale and Blackburn both started the second half of the season with victories as the gap between the two at the top of the Lancashire League remains steady at five games. Champions Liverpool are still six back but have now won their last four after beating Toxteth today, so should not be ruled out just yet. Victory over St. Helens moves Ribble into a tie for fourth as they seek a first winning season in some twelve years. York crashed to a shock defeat to Huddersfield in Wednesday's rescheduled Yorkshire League game, gifting Halifax a three game lead which they maintained after both teams won this afternoon. Sheffield enjoyed a big win over neighbours Sanderson's Weir, which keeps them just four games behind and drops their rivals down to a losing record for the season, a situation they have rarely experienced.

Defeat to crosstown rivals St. Margaret's today dealt Leicester a blow in their quest for a fourth successive Central League crown. With Cannon Hill beating Birmingham, Leicester now drop two games behind the leaders again, as well as one behind second placed Sherwood who beat Trent Bridge. Northern Combination leaders Middlesbrough began the second half of their season with arguably their worst performance of the season, crashing 10-5 against near neighbours Stockton. Ultimately though, there was little harm done as third placed Wearmouth beat second placed Sunderland, ensuring that Middlesbrough's seven game lead was unaffected. Stockton have now won eight of their last ten as they look to get themselves up to a winning record despite a very slow start to their debut season.

Tail o' the Bank's progress in the Caledonian League was checked this afternoon as they were edged out by champions Arthur's Seat to end a ten game winning run. The two teams tied for second place, Glasgow and White Cart, both won to close the gap on the leaders from four games to three. Leith still have a winning record, but their defeat to Glasgow means they remain five games back. Defeats today for Sailortown and Queen's Island, added to Clonard's win at Rathmines, mean that three teams are split by a single game in the Irish League's Belfast Section. Sailortown still lead, but Clonard now join Queen's Island in a tie for second. With Kilmainham losing on Wednesday, Drumcondra had closed to within one game of first place in the Dublin Section but their defeat to Laganside this afternoon allowed Kilmainham to move two clear again by beating Sailortown.

The Western League continues to be disappointingly uncompetitive in its first season. Bath now lead the English Section by six games after beating Newport to extend their winning run to seven, while Avon were losing to Welsh Section leaders Cardiff. Cardiff's advantage is now no fewer than twelve games, as Newport lost once again and have now been joined by Swansea in a tie for second place.