Supported By

Manchester A's 2003

This feature, and those to follow, will deal with the Manchester A's and their exploits on the playing fields of England during the 2003 season.

An Opening Day to remember (27/4) - by Ian Marchment

Shropshire Pumas 0 Manchester A's 35 after 7 innings

The Manchester A's 2003 campaign got off to the best possible start on Sunday with a 35-0 win over the Shropshire Pumas. The A's, winners of the 2002 Northern Conference wooden spoon, were looking to erase memories of previous losses in Shropshire, and did so in emphatic style. With starting pitcher and team MVP Liam Dickinson in no-nonsense form, the A's were rarely troubled.

The Pumas are a new team for 2003, but given the strength of the Shropshire Panthers (Shropshire's first team) over the past two seasons, the A's were unable to take anything for granted. Many of Ashley Smith's Pumas are newcomers to the game, but acquitted themselves well when faced with dominant pitching and a huge second inning for the A's. Both teams also had to contend with both the infamously changeable weather in Telford (from brilliant sunshine to a hailstorm in less than fifteen minutes!), and the infamously unique all-weather playing surface, but still managed to end the game in a little over three hours, despite a rain delay.

As he has done so frequently, Ronan Dunne led off for the A's, although a fine defensive play meant he was unable to reach base. Making his debut as manager, the A's CF Chris Jackson reached on a single. He was followed by Paul Fagan and Peter Marchment, who both drew walks, before Liam Dickinson hit a single, scoring the first two of his 5 RBIs. Dickinson was equally dominant in the bottom of the first, striking out the side in order, to leave the score 2-0 after 1.

The second inning was to be the undoing of the Pumas. Ashley Smith battled valiantly on the mound, only to see a succession of A's batters reach base and then come around to score. 18 of the first 19 batters that the A's sent to the plate scored runs, with a parade of hits to most corners of the field (sorry, playing surface). At the middle of the 2nd, the score stood at 20-0, with 24 A's having come to bat. The A's were ruthless in the bottom of the second, although Dickinson did allow a baserunner with a walk. A's C Jim Gunn was having none of it, and duly gunned down the runner as he attempted to steal 2nd. Two Ks either side of the baserunner, and the inning ended 20-0.

6 singles and a double in the top of the third brought home a further 6 A's, with Jim Gunn driving home two of those runs. Pumas manager Ashley Smith got on board in the bottom of the inning with a walk, and proceeded to steal his way to third. However, two more Ks for Dickinson and a fine 6-3 defensive play ended any hopes of a Pumas revival. End of the third, 26-0 to the A's.

The top of the fourth saw a slump in the fortunes of the A's, thanks to some good work on the diamond from the Pumas. Two fine plays from the Pumas 3B, Disken, saw the A's go back to defense without having scored a run. A's manager Chris Jackson decided that this was the time to give himself the hook, and substituted Peter Mawby into the action. However, despite the Pumas' defensive work, a 4-3 play and two more Ks from Dickinson ended the fourth with the score still 26-0.

Mawby led off the top of the fifth, and was able to reach base on a catcher's interference call. However, he was tagged out at second after over-running the base. Mawby was followed onto the basepaths by Fagan, Gunn and Dickinson. Up stepped Rob Taylor, playing his first ever game, and proceeded to hit a double, bringing home two more A's runs, and bringing Taylor's RBI total for the day to 4. All told, 3 A's scored in the top of the fifth. A further personnel change in the bottom of the 5th saw Qadeer Hussain replace Rob Taylor, with Q also playing his first ever game. In his fifth inning of work, Dickinson showed no signs of fatigue. A fine 1-4 play and Dickinson's 10th K meant only four Pumas came to the plate. The inning ended with the A's leading 29-0.

The A's put two more runs on the board in the top of the sixth to stretch the lead still further. A fine double from Gunn scored both of the runs, including Fagan from first. The A's might have been able to score more if Peter Marchment had not been tagged out at second after over-running the base, ending the inning. Paul Fagan relieved Liam Dickinson on the mound for the A's in the bottom of the sixth, and maintained Liam's high standards. Five Pumas came to the plate, and Fagan allowed a walk and a single. However, he also managed two 1-3 plays, the second of which ended the inning with no Pumas having crossed home plate. Score: 31-0 A's.

All credit should go to Ashley Smith, who pitched the full seven innings for the Pumas, and was still throwing hard to the end. Eight more A's came to the plate in the 7th, including Qadeer Hussain. He deserves a special mention because he managed to hit the first pitch he ever faced for a single. So much for a rookie's learning curve! The 7th also saw an unusual foul-bunt third strike out against the A's Marginson, but four more A's came home to register runs. Any thoughts of a late-inning rally by the Pumas were ended by Paul Fagan. He threw two Ks, and then tagged the Pumas' Mills himself for the third out to end the game on the 7-inning slaughter rule. Final score was 35-0 for the A's.

A number of club records were set by the A's, who brought home 35 runs on 35 hits. They also recorded the first ever shutout by the Manchester A's, and committed a grand total of zero errors in the field. Every A's player reached base, all but one had a hit, all but one scored a run, and all but one had an RBI. However, the A's will no doubt face a sterner test next week, at home against the Halton Jaguars.

• Most Valuable Player - Liam Dickinson
• Game Balls - Qadeer Hussain, Rob Taylor, Ian Marginson
• Bonehead - Peter Mawby

Home-opener Heart-breaker (4/5) - by Ian Marchment

Halton Jaguars 20-17 Manchester A's

The Manchester A's came back down to earth with a bump this weekend with a heart-rending 20-17 loss to their local rivals the Halton Jaguars. After a big opening day win for the A's and an opening day loss for the Jaguars, this was a game that stats alone could not prepare anyone for. In a game that was as great to watch as it was to play in, the A's led the game all the way from the bottom of the first inning to the top of the ninth inning, but just couldn't put Halton away. It was also a game that could well have been sponsored by St John's Ambulance or Ibuprofen, as a number of players took painful knocks and injuries.

On a sunny but blustery day in Manchester, the A's took the field for their home opener without their first-game MVP Liam Dickinson. Paul Fagan took the mound for the A's, whilst Rob Mills was to open for the Jaguars. The top of the first saw a single Jaguars player cross the plate, whilst the A's managed to bring home Ronan Dunne, Paul Fagan and Jim Gunn. Rob Mills held his nerve to strike out two A's batters to end the inning with the bases loaded. Over the coming innings, the number of A's players stranded at the end of an inning would prove frustrating, and ultimately very costly indeed. End of the first saw the score at 3-1 in favour of the A's.

The Jaguars again managed a single run in the top of the 2nd, whilst the A's stretched their lead with a further two runs. The first two A's to the plate in the second, Ronan Dunne and Chris Jackson, both came around to score. However, two fine plays by the Jaguars' SS Cherneskie and a further K for Mills put paid to any thoughts from the A's of a repeat of their 18-run 2nd inning at Shropshire 7 days previously. End of the second: 5-2 A's.

Over the course of the following innings, Jaguars' manager John Mills was forced to make a number of changes due to injuries. Rob Mills took a sharp come-backer from the A's Chris Jackson on the ankle, whilst Paul Thompson injured his groin. Although Mills was able to continue on the mound after an injury delay, he was moved by his Dad in the fourth inning. By this time, the A's had brought home ten total runs, two as a result of a double from C Ian Marchment, playing his first game of the year.

Ultimately, it would be necessary for Paul Thompson and the Jaguars' 3B Matt Thompson to leave the game due to their injuries. The Jaguars replaced them with the listed subs, Chris Pittard and Danny Lloyd. Controversy briefly reared it's ugly head a short time later as yet another Halton player suffered an injury. The Halton line-up card named a starting 9, 2 bench players, and manager John Mills under the heading of "coaches". Having used both of his substitutes, Mills was forced to bring himself into the game. Umpire Dave Allen ruled that although John was listed under the heading of "coaches", it would not be right to refuse to allow John to join the game and award the A's a forfeit. John was to make good use of his opportunity, getting himself two hits and more than one RBI.

At this stage, the score stood at 15-9 to the A's, and Paul Fagan was looking good on the mound. After a number of pitching changes, Nick Bustin took to the hill for the Jags. Perhaps looking to strengthen his claim as the Jaguars' MVP after hitting a solo homer, Bustin set about taking the game to the A's. Although the first four A's that came to the plate in the 6th inning came around to score, two Ks and a 4-3 defensive play snuffed out any chance of any further runs.

Halton kept the pressure on the A's, chipping away at their lead. A number of good hits and some hesitant fielding from the A's allowed Halton to score two. Given the chance to consolidate their advantage on the scoreboard, the A's stumbled, scoring no runs in the 7th inning. End of the seventh saw the A's lead cut to 4, with the score standing at 15-11. The Jaguars brought home three in the top of the 8th to close the gap still further. However, the A's responded in the bottom of the inning with two runs of their own. Further runs might have been possible for the A's if three of their number had not been caught in run-downs following somewhat suicidal attempts to steal bases. Again, these mistakes were to come back to haunt the home team.

The A's simply needed three more outs to secure a tight, two-run victory. However, it was not to be. Just as one inning had been the undoing of the Shropshire Pumas the week before, so one inning was to prove decisive for the Jaguars. With a somewhat tiring Paul Fagan still pitching for the A's, nearly four hours after the first pitch, Halton took advantage with some fine hits, and brought home six runs. The score now stood at 20-17 and it was suddenly the A's who needed runs just to survive. Although Ian Marchment managed his second double of the day, he was the only A's player to reach base in the bottom of the 9th. When the A's Jennings flew out to end the game, the Jaguars bench erupted in celebration at a come-from-behind victory against most if not all of the odds.

Mistakes on the base-paths, hesitant fielding, and stranding too many base-runners were all factors in the downfall of the A's. For the Jaguars, their never-say-die attitude paid off in spades, bringing them a win that few would have predicted as John Mills entered the game. Strong relief pitching and solid hits were also big contributors to the Jaguars' success. All in all, those present at Allen Field witnessed a tight, keenly fought contest between two very evenly-matched teams. With a return double-header at Halton scheduled for later in the season, this rivalry is not yet over for 2003, not by a long way.

• Most Valuable Player - Paul Fagan
  
• Game balls - Rob Taylor, Ronan Dunne, Ian Marchment
• Bonehead - Ian Marchment/Paul Fagan

Godsall too strong for rag-tag A’s (11/5) - by Ian Marchment

Liverpool Trojans 23-0 Manchester A’s (Double-Header Game One)

It has often been said that pitching is the key to success at any level of baseball.  Martin Godsall proved this point in the first game of the Trojans double-header at the A’s, a game that looked destined not to take place.

At their regular Thursday training session, the Manchester A’s manager, Chris Jackson, was confident that he would be able to count on the services of 15 or 16 players for the double-header against the Trojans, including the return of Week One MVP, Liam Dickinson.  However, an increasingly bizarre set of circumstances conspired against the A’s.  With less than half an hour to go before the scheduled first pitch, the A’s had 8 players, no manager, and were all set to forfeit at least one of the two games.  In addition, the umpire had got lost on his way to the ground.

The A’s lost Dickinson to a broken bone in his foot, sustained Friday, a second starting pitcher to family commitments involving a recent arrival (congratulations Paul from all the A’s), their manager and one player other to illness, two players to last-minute work commitments, one to forthcoming exam commitments, and finally one player to a late-arriving lift to the ground.  Frantic phone calls ensued from the A’s stand-in manager Ian Marchment, and three players arrived with less than twenty minutes to spare.  With the umpire now on-scene, and the A’s line-up card still being written at the time of the plate conference, the game went ahead.

Unfortunately, the A’s were unable to provide anyone to score the game, and so this game report has been compiled mostly from memory.  Sincere apologies for any mistakes.

The A’s emergency pitcher, Ronan Dunne, bravely took the mound with very little warm-up time, to face the current favourites for the Northern Conference title.  Most of the A’s fielders were kept busy during the coming innings, especially so on the infield.  The Trojans dented the plate on more than one occasion in the top of the first, leaving the A’s to play catch-up in their half of the inning.

Trojans and GB pitcher Martin Godsall arrived shortly before the first game.  Any thoughts from the A’s that either a short warm-up or a lack of sleep from a recent arrival (congratulations Martin from all the A’s) would hurt Godsall’s performance were soon banished in the bottom of the first.  Although two hits were given up by Martin, including another hit for rookie batting sensation Rob Taylor, the A’s could not find a way to bring any of their runners home.

This was to continue throughout the next four innings.  The Trojans were able to bring home runners in each of the five innings played, and eventually stretched their lead to 23-0.  The A’s were given plenty of fielding practice by the Trojans hitters, and acquitted themselves well.  In each of the A’s turns at bat, they battled bravely against Godsall’s speed and accuracy, but were unable to dent home plate.  A special mention should at this point go to Peter Mawby, who managed not only a hit off Martin, but also a double at that!  Nice hit Pete. Final score, 23-0.

All in all, the A’s performed well given the circumstances.  Sincere thanks go to Ronan Dunne, Ian Marginson and Peter Marchment, who all played out of position due to the absentee list.  Facing the league favourites and a GB pitcher with a full squad and a regular starting pitcher is a daunting enough prospect.  Facing the league favourites and a GB pitcher with a team thrown together literally at the last minute, including two players in their first season and two in their second season, the A’s battled to the last out.

• MVP – Ronan Dunne
• Game Balls – Rob Taylor, Steve Smith, Pete Mawby, Peter Marchment
• Bonehead – Ian Marchment (Admin), Pete Mawby (Field)

Heat rises in closer game (11/5) - by Ian Marchment

Liverpool Trojans 17-2 Manchester A’s (Double-Header Game Two)

There are games in which the final scoreline tells the whole story.  There are games in which the final scoreline does not tell the whole story.  This, the second game of the Trojans-A’s double-header, fell into the latter category.  The A’s fought long and hard to avoid a second-straight slaughter rule loss to the league-favourite Trojans, and succeeded in their aims.  It was a bumpy road though.

Although still on his sickbed at 10am the same morning, the A’s manager Chris Jackson made it to the ground in time for Game One.  However, having delegated managerial responsibilities to Ian Marchment, Jackson sat out the entire first game.  Spurred on by the efforts of his teammates in Game One, Jackson elected to ignore his sickness and took the mound for the A’s to start Game Two.  His decision seemed to be proved to be the right one, as he allowed the Trojans no runs in the top of the first.

The A’s line-up for Game Two included Martyn Gough and Peter Koukoulas, both playing in their first ever games.  After facing Martin Godsall in Game One, the A’s came up to bat in the bottom of the first facing left-handed Alan Alger.  They were to have immediate success, being able to bring home a runner, and dent home plate for the first time that day.  Alger ended any attempts by the A’s to prolong the inning, and the first ended with the A’s ahead 1-0.

Jackson was obviously buoyed by being ahead, and managed to shut out the Trojans for a second straight inning.  Some fine plays by the A’s infield, together with some awesome catches by SS Steve Smith, prevented the Trojans from bringing anyone home.

The bottom of the second inning brought with it the first signs of an uneasy tension between the two sides.  Clearly, the Trojans were not used to struggling, especially against a makeshift team such as the A’s.  Tensions boiled over slightly as the A’s Martyn Gough asked the umpire about the pitcher’s glove, worn under the usual fielding glove.  Baseball rules prohibit any pitcher from wearing any a white fielding glove, or any article of white clothing close to the ball.  Umpire BJ DeLorenzo was forced to ask Alger to remove the glove, which was partly white, prompting a few words from the Liverpool bench.  Unknown to Gough, or any of the A’s, a medical condition meant Alger required the use of such a glove.  After some discussion, it was agreed that Alan would continue to use the under-glove.  The Trojans P seemed unperturbed by events, however, and retired the A’s without a run crossing the plate.  At the end of the second, the A’s still led 1-0.

The top of the third saw an incident which, whilst never promising a bench-clearance, proved that Alger was a little more than pumped-up after the events of the previous inning.  After coming to the plate, Alan jolted a double to the outfield off the A’s Jackson.  He made a turn for third, but the base was already occupied by another Liverpool player.  Whilst returning to second, there was a collision between Alger and the A’s 2B Ronan Dunne, although Dunne did not appear to be close to the base, or intending to make a play of any description.  Heated words and a number of shoves were exchanged between the players, causing what might be described as a “gathering” of A’s and Trojans around second base.

Trojans C Robbie Alger, Alan’s father, was quickly on hand, and no further words were exchanged.  A brief chat between the umpire and Alan, together with a four-run inning from the Trojans, seemed to end any major hostility.  When taking the mound in the bottom of the inning, Alger seemed composed, and proceeded to retire the A’s with no further runs having scored.  End of the third, Trojans led 4-1.

The top of the fourth saw the Trojans bring home another three runs.  Jackson was tiring by this time, and occasionally struggled with his control.  However, he had enough gas left in the tank to end the inning at a cost of three runs, helped along the way by some more fine fielding.  Alan Alger was once more on form in the bottom of the inning, allowing only one A’s player to come around to score, and leaving the mound with the score standing at 7-2 in favour of the Trojans.

The A’s were keen to avoid the slaughter rule for Game Two, but things did not look good as Jackson struggled on the mound.  He allowed two runs to score without recording an out, and removed himself from the game in favour of Ronan Dunne, the A’s Game One pitcher.  It was then that fate decided that it had been tempted enough.  At the start of Game One, the Trojans scorer commented that this was the first time that he had come to Manchester and it hadn’t rained.  Yes, you’ve guessed it, that was just too tempting for fate to ignore, and the heavens opened.  The old saying, “If you don’t like the weather, wait twenty minutes”, was proved true once again at Allen Field.  The torrential downpour (including a lovely hail shower) soon passed, and the sun beamed down once more.  Dunne was able to recover the situation he faced before the rain delay, and no further Trojans crossed the plate.  The A’s had achieved their initial objective of avoiding a second five-inning slaughter, and now trailed by 7.

The Trojans Game Two pitcher did not face the same difficulties as the A’s Game Two starter, and never looked in any danger of being given the hook.  Good control of more than one pitch, some A’s batters jumping on pitches, and some solid fielding all allowed the Trojans to shut out the A’s once again.  The inning ended with the A’s trailing 9-2.

The top of the 6^th was to be the end of the A’s resistance.  Dunne struggled with his control on occasion, walking consecutive batters more than once.  However, there were also a number of solid hits from the Trojans.  These factors combined meant that eight Liverpool players were able to get around to score.  What at one stage had seemed a game destined to last the full seven innings now seemed over and done with.  The A’s needed six runs in a single inning just to make the Trojans bat again, a massive mountain to climb given that Liverpool had allowed two runs in the previous five innings.  And so it was.  Alan Alger pitched the bottom of the sixth for the Trojans, and was once again able to shut out the A’s, ending the game at 17-2 in favour of Liverpool.

If anyone had asked at 11am, no-one on the A’s sideline would have given much of a chance of both games going ahead, or of the games turning out the way that they did.  Pitching really does win games, as Martin Godsall proved in Game One.  The same was true of Game Two, but to a lesser extent, and it goes to show that one inning can make all the difference.  The A’s face an equally tough challenge next week, another trip to Telford to take on the undefeated Shropshire Panthers.

• MVP – Steve Smith
• Game Balls – Jim Gunn, Ian Marginson
• Bonehead – Chris Jackson (Admin)

Banging our heads against a wall. Literally. (18/5) - by Ian Marchment (edited)

Manchester A's 4-28 Shropshire Panthers

Those of you who are regular readers of the game reports for the Manchester A's may notice one or two differences this week. For starters, we're going to begin with the game awards.

• MVP - Danny Allen & Jim Gunn
• Game Balls - Pete Marchment, Matt Cooper
• Bonehead - Jon Peachment (Panthers)

There was a lot of discussion generated by the original report. The A's felt humiliated and the Panthers' manager Jon Peachment admitted after the match they went out to beat the A's because they thought the A's ran up the score against their sister team the Pumas. Much message board discussion resulted in the Pumas manager confirming this wasn't true, and then the Panthers manager apologising. So we moved on. Also unfortunately in the game the A's left fielder Pete Marchment collided with the left field permanent fence, and many A's were unhappy with playing on the 'gravel' again. The A's and Shropshire both stated they hope they are not playing on this 'field' next year.

Anyway back to the game. Heading in to the top of the 7th inning, the Panthers held a 28-0 lead, and Plantier was keen to preserve his shutout. Not on Danny Allen's watch. Denied a home run by some four feet earlier in the game, Danny crushed a 2-2 pitch over the RF "line of cones" for a solo round-tripper to lead off the inning.

That brought Jim Gunn to the plate, and a play that highlighted the surreal and incomprehensible ground rules at Telford. Any ball hit to the outfield, passing over the "line of cones" is either a home run or a ground-rule double, depending upon where the ball lands. So far, so nothing unusual. However, if any ball hits an outfielder, the ball remains live, no matter where it goes afterwards. And so, for once, the rule worked against the Panthers. Jim's jack to RF, three inches to the fair side of the line, went off the RF's glove, and kept going. Jim motored round second, then round third, heading for home. The throw to the plate was off-line, and a rare in-the-park home run was in the books.

Qadeer Hussain reached on an error, and Matt Cooper became the third A's batter to be hit with a pitch. A passed ball allowed the runners to advance, and two sacrifices (by Ian Marchment and Paul Billington) added a further two runs. Final score was 28-4 in favour of the Panthers.

Finally, the A's would like to pass on Qadeer Hussain's thanks to the eagle-eyed staff of the Telford Leisure Centre, who managed to completely miss someone smashing Q's car window, even though the car was parked on the Leisure Centre car park.

Manchester Derby, Round One (25/5) - by Ian Marchment

Manchester A's 3-13 Manchester Express

After all of the results, events, e-mails, and posts on message boards witnessed over the previous seven days, the Manchester A's were glad to get some respite with the first game of a double-header against their sister club, the Manchester Express. The game had been threatened earlier in the week by the notorious Manchester weather, but although home plate had been under two inches of water on Thursday, a clear day with some warm sunshine allowed both games to take place on Sunday.

The A's were still missing starting pitcher Liam Dickinson to injury, as well as regular lead-off hitter and 2B Ronan Dunne to umpiring duties. However, the A's approached the first game with a sense of optimism, due in part to having a much larger bench than the Express. With the Express as the away team in Game One, Paul Fagan took the hill for the A's. Veteran lead-off hitter Dave Gould stepped to the plate for the Express, playing in his 100th MBC game. Congratulations to Dave from all the A's.

The Express were able to bring home three runs in the top of the first inning, and Ted Wu Yang took to the mound for the Express, hoping to maintain their advantage. He was successful, retiring the A's in order, thanks to a strikeout, a fly-ball to CF, and a 5-3 groundout. The Express were able to add a further run in the top of the second to stretch their lead to 4-0. Express P Yang was again able to retire the A's in order, with another strikeout and two 4-3 plays. Yang had been perfect through two innings, thanks to solid pitching and good defensive infield work. At the end of the second inning, the Express led 4-0.

The top of the third inning saw a further three Express batters cross home plate to extend the lead to 7-0. A's C Ian Marchment led off the bottom of the inning with a single to break up Yang's perfect game. A stolen base followed by two passed balls at home plate allowed Marchment to come around to score the first A's run of the day. Yang was able to nail the lid on the A's after Marchment scored, being involved in all three outs - a strikeout, a fly-ball to the pitcher, and a 1-3 groundout. Still, the A's were on the board, but trailed 7-1.

The Express brought home two further runs in the top of the fourth inning, stretching the gap to eight runs. Matt Jennings led off the bottom of the inning for the A's, and hit a fine single. A passed ball took Jennings to second base with Paul Fagan at the plate. Fagan then brought Jennings home with a solid stand-up double. Unfortunately, the next two A's batters were struck out by Yang, bringing Paul Billington to the plate. Not content with catching two infield fly-balls, Billington hit a towering double to bring home Paul Fagan for the third A's run of the day. A's C Ian Marchment was unable to duplicate his effort of the third inning, and grounded out 5-3 to end the inning. At the end of the fourth, the gap was once again six runs, with the score 9-3.

Although the A's were hoping to avoid the five-inning slaughter by limiting the Express to less than four runs, they allowed four Express batters to cross the plate. The A's now needed a single run to make the Express bat again, but were now faced with a new pitcher in Dimtcho Dimov, playing his first game of the year for the Express. A 3-1 groundout was followed by a walk to Steve Smith, who stole to second at the first opportunity. However, strikeouts to Martyn Gough and Matt Jennings ended the fifth inning with Smith stranded at second, and no A's runner having crossed home plate. The five-inning slaughter rule came into effect, and the game ended with a victory for the Express 13-3.

A good game of baseball for all concerned, played in just the right spirit. Fine, consistent umpiring helped the game move along at a cracking pace, getting a full five innings played in just 100 minutes.

• MVP - Paul Fagan
• Game Balls - Paul Billington, Ian Marchment, Matt Jennings, Steve Smith
• Bonehead - None

Manchester Derby, Round Two (25/5) - by Ian Marchment

Manchester Express 16-0 Manchester A's

Just 25 minutes after Game One, the A's and the Express took to the field for Game Two of the Derby double-header. Ian Marchment had taken over umpiring duties from Ronan Dunne, who swapped to his more usual 2B/lead-off role for the A's, whilst the Express had taken over from the A's as the home team.

Express manager Roger Young took to the hill for the top of the first inning, and duly issued a walk to Dunne. A steal to second put Ronan in scoring position with no outs. However, a strikeout, F5 and 4-3 groundout stranded the A's 2B and ended the inning. It was to be a management-pitching duel as A's manager Chris Jackson took to the mound in the bottom of the inning. However, he did not fare as well as his Express counterpart. Over the course of the coming innings, a combination of solid Express hitting and somewhat inconsistent A's pitching led to runs crossing the plate in every Express inning. However, some solid fielding from the A's did limit the Express somewhat, including a candidate for catch of the day (if not the season) from Ronan Dunne at 2B.

Peter Marchment, Rob Taylor and Ian Marginson stepped to the plate for the A's in the top of the second. However, two groundouts and a strikeout for Young meant a three-up, three-down second for the A's. The away team fared only a little better in the top of the third. Two more groundouts and another strikeout sandwiched another walk for Steve Smith. Young left the game having pitched three innings of no-hit, scoreless baseball, and handed over pitching duties to Matt Cooper.

Cooper followed in his manager's footsteps in the top of the fourth, allowing no hits and no runs. He did allow a walk, and hit Peter Marchment with a pitch, but also had two groundouts and a strikeout. Chris Jackson turned over the A's pitching to Martyn Gough (making his pitching debut) in the bottom of the fourth, and Gough acquitted himself well against much-more experienced opposition. At the end of the fourth inning, the Express led 16-0, leaving the A's a mountain to climb to avoid the five-inning slaughter rule for a second time. Matt Cooper was ruthless, with a groundout and two strikeouts ending the game.

Congratulations should go to Roger Young and Matt Cooper, who combined for five innings of hit-less, score-less baseball. Congratulations also to Martyn Gough, who stepped to the mound after only a single training session on pitching mechanics. Again, a fine game played at a cracking pace saw the end of the game in just under 100 minutes.

All in all, an enjoyable day for both Manchester teams. The Express were not hampered by their shorter bench, whilst the A's took the opportunity to give game time to as many different players as possible. The Express travel to Bolton for a double-header against the Brewers next week, whilst the A's face their Week One opponents, the Shropshire Pumas, in a double-header at Allen Field. Both the Brewers and the Pumas have improved significantly since their opening matches, and both Manchester teams will have to be at the top of their respective games if they are to have any chance of success.

• MVP - Ronan Dunne
• Game Balls - Martyn Gough, Jim Gunn
• Bonehead - None

Improved Pumas push A's all the way (1/6) - by Ian Marchment

Shropshire Pumas 20-25 Manchester A's

On Opening Day, the Manchester A's defeated the Shropshire Pumas 35-0. On Sunday, the Pumas proved how far they have come in six short weeks. However, the A's proved that they are more resilient than people sometimes give them credit for. The weather was at times unbearably hot, and somewhat surprisingly, sunny throughout. However, dust and baking temperatures did not deter either set of players.

The A's would be missing Ian Marchment in both games of the double-header due to umpiring commitments. However, the home team would be buoyed by the addition of former Express long-ball specialist Danny Allen, now a permanent fixture with the A's. Game One of the day would see an Allen-Allen pitching duel as Danny took the hill for the A's, whilst James Allen (no relation) started for the Pumas.

The top of the first was not to be the start that Danny Allen had been looking for, but just the kind of confidence booster that Shropshire manager Ashley Smith must have been dreaming of for weeks. Six walks and two singles, along with the Pumas leaving the bases loaded, meant that eleven Shropshire batters came to the plate, and five runs crossed the plate. As with the A's against Halton earlier in the season, the Pumas would ultimately pay dearly for stranding so many base-runners over the course of the game. In reply, the A's mustered 2 walks and one hit, bringing home two runs. End of the first, the Pumas led 5-2.

The top of the second inning saw two more Pumas cross home plate to stretch the lead to 7-2, although Danny Allen did notch up his second strikeout of the day. Although hopes were high for the A's, loading the bases in the bottom of the second with one out, it was not to be, and no runs scored. An Infield Fly-rule out and a strikeout ended the inning with the bases still loaded. The Pumas would now have the chance to improve upon their 7-2 advantage.

Danny Allen faced seven batters in the top of the third inning. Three walks, a single, and a throwing error to A's 3B Paul Fagan meant that four of those seven came around to score. However, a further strikeout for Danny Allen and Jim Gunn throwing out a potential base-stealer at 3rd limited the damage. However, at the middle of the third inning, the A's trailed 11-2, and faced the possibility of a slaughter-rule defeat by a team they had shutout six weeks earlier. The home team responded in fine style in the bottom half of the inning, sending ten batters to the plate and bringing five of them around to score with three walks and four singles. After three innings, the A's had narrowed the gap to four runs, and were behind 11-7. They had also forced James Allen from the mound, in favour of Fernando Koji.

It was now Danny Allen's turn to respond, but this time with the ball instead of the bat. A second error from Paul Fagan allowed the Pumas first batter to reach base safely, but that was to be the end of the Pumas' output in the 4th. Two strikeouts and another base-runner caught stealing at third ended the inning with only three Pumas having come to bat. A shutout inning was just what the doctor ordered for the A's, and gave them renewed confidence. In their half of the inning, the home team sent thirteen batters to the plate, and were able to put a total of nine runs on the scoreboard. Matt Jennings hit a fine double to bring home two runs, whilst Paul Fagan, Chris Jackson and Pete Marchment were all able to reach base twice in the same inning, Jackson with a two-RBI single. At the close of the fourth, the A's had jumped into 16-11 lead.

The Pumas now needed to respond, and to try to regain their previous advantage. Unfortunately, the Pumas first batter fell to a brilliant unassisted put-out by A's 1B Matt Jennings, sliding feet-first to his bag to beat the runner by half a step. Unfortunately, the next five Pumas batters were able to reach base, and three of them scored runs. Danny Allen was able to tough it out on the mound, and recorded two further strikeouts to snuff out any Pumas hopes of a recovery. The A's brought substitutes Martyn Gough and Eddie Muir (making his first ever appearance) into the game, and now had the opportunity to press home their advantage. They were able to do so. Nine batters were sent to the plate, and six of them recorded runs. Matt Jennings hit his second double of the day, in successive at-bats no less, recording his third and fourth RBIs of the game. The A's were also able to force another pitching change, as Koji gave way to Pumas manager Ashley Smith on the hill. As the game became official at the end of the fifth inning, the A's led 22-14. The lead was seemingly comfortable, but the A's were unable to relax, knowing of the Pumas' scoring capabilities.

In the top of the sixth, the Pumas sent eleven batters to the plate. Four walks, two batters hit by pitches, and a third error charged to the A's Paul Fagan meant that five Pumas came home to score. However, two further strikeouts for Danny Allen prevented the Pumas from drawing any closer to the A's. Danny led off the bottom of the sixth in what is rapidly turning into typical fashion - with a home run. Actually, the words "home run" do not really do credit to the distance that this ball travelled. For those of you who are familiar with MBC's home ground, it's probably enough to say that the ball was still about 30 feet above the ground when it went into the trees behind the fence in right-centre field. A single for Jim Gunn and the first A's triple of the season for Paul Fagan brought home the second and third Manchester runs of the inning. Some fine defensive plays limited the home team to three runs, and the lead was once again extended to 25-19 after six innings.

With the game scheduled for seven innings, the Pumas now needed six runs simply to survive. After the first four Pumas reached base, even though Jim Gunn threw out his third base-stealer at third, A's manager Chris Jackson gave Danny Allen the hook in favour of Paul Fagan. Whilst only one of the Pumas had come around to score, Chris was not in the mood for taking chances. Matt Jennings switched from 1B to 3B, whilst Danny made the short trip from the mound to 1B. This was proved to be a smart move only moments later as an unassisted put-out for Allen and a 1-3 groundout ended the Pumas inning and the game. Final score: A's won 25-20.

A gutsy six-inning pitching performance by Danny Allen, combined with a towering home run, gave the A's the lifeline they needed when trailing by nine runs. Although the game was close and competitive throughout, it was played with an exemplary spirit by all concerned, and was a credit to every player, coach and manager. Three hours and forty-five minutes seems like a long time for six-and-a-half innings of baseball, and it probably seemed like a lot more with the heat. However, given that there were forty-five combined runs, twenty-nine combined hits, and thirty-two combined walks, perhaps four hours isn't so bad after all. Most players were very glad of the opportunity afforded by the extended break between games to load up with fluids, but were also concerned at the prospect of an 8pm finish. They needn't have worried.

• MVP - Danny Allen
• Game Balls - Jim Gunn, Matt Jennings, Paul Fagan, Chris Jackson
• Bonehead - Paul Fagan

So similar, and yet so different (1/6) - by Ian Marchment

Shropshire Pumas 2-13 Manchester A's

Thirty minutes after the final pitch of Game One, umpire Ian Marchment called "Play Ball" on Game Two. A game time in Game Two similar to that of Game One would have stretched the playing day to more than eight hours, something that few (if any) at Allen Field were keen to see.

Both the A's and the Pumas started Game Two with the pitchers that had ended Game One - Ashley Smith and Paul Fagan respectively. In the top of the first, the Pumas were hoping for the same kind of start as they experienced in Game One. It wasn't to be. A 1-3 groundout and two strikeouts meant no base-runners for the Pumas, let alone any runs. Unfortunately for Manchester, the Shropshire SS Braithwaite was on form in the bottom of the first inning. Two 5-3 groundouts and a fly-out to Braithwaite meant the first three-up, three-down inning of the day for the A's. At the end of the first, the score was tied at 0-0.

An error, a walk and two singles brought seven Pumas to the plate in the top of the second, and brought two runs home. Fagan was able to regain his composure on the mound, and ended the Pumas scoring with two strikeouts and a 4-3 groundout. The A's knew that they needed to respond with runs of their own, but were unable to produce the goods. A 5-3 and two 4-3 groundouts meant a second consecutive three-up, three-down inning for the A's, and meant that Ashley Smith was perfect through two innings.

Paul Fagan surrendered another two singles in the top of the third inning as Shropshire sought to extend their lead. However, both runners were to be stranded as Fagan nailed the lid down with an unassisted tag-out of the Pumas' Horner and another strikeout. Manchester were keen to get on the scoreboard, or at least break up Smith's perfect game, in the bottom of the third inning. Just as Ian Marchment had broken up a perfect game the week before against the Express, so Pete Marchment broke up a perfect game against the Pumas, hitting a fine double to the fence. Six A's batters came to the plate, and three of them were able to score. The third inning ended with the home team having leapfrogged the away team to take the lead 3-2.

In the top of the fourth inning, the Pumas came across Paul Fagan in uncompromising mood. A 4-3 groundout sandwiched by two strikeouts meant another three-up, three-down inning for the Shropshire side. Paul was hot with the bat in the bottom of the inning, hitting one of the A's three singles, and coming around to score. Unfortunately, two strikeouts from Ashley Smith ended the inning with Manchester runners stranded at 2nd and 3rd. However, the A's had managed to extend the lead to 4-2 after four innings.

A's 1B Jim Gunn was busy in the top of the fifth inning. He took the first out by catching a line drive straight to him, which was quickly followed by a 6-3 and a 5-3 groundout. Jim's glove work sentenced the Pumas to their second-straight three-up, three-down inning. The bottom of the fifth was to signal the end of the visitors' resistance and almost began the celebrations for the home team. Ten A's came to bat, and six of them scored. This included Pete Marchment, who hit his second double of the game and sixth hit of the day. It might have been more, but Steve Smith was tagged at home trying to stretch the advantage still further. As the fifth inning ended, the score stood at 10-2 to the A's.

The Manchester P was merciless in the top of the sixth inning, recording two more strikeouts and catching a fly-ball himself for the third out. For the third straight inning, and the fourth out of six, the Pumas had failed to put a man on base. Matt Jennings led off the bottom of the 6th with his third double of the day, which brought Danny Allen to the plate. In his previous two games for the A's, Danny had crushed a pitch over the fence in the last Manchester inning of the game. And so it was to be once more. It may not have been hit as far as his previous homer, but Danny's blast in the bottom of the sixth still cleared the fence by some distance and brought home two runs. A further Manchester batter came home before two fly-balls to the Shropshire 2B brought an end to the sixth inning with the A's now leading 13-2.

Shropshire now needed eleven runs to make the A's bat again. They were also seeking to put a man on base for the first time since the Pumas manager hit a single in the top of the third inning. Unfortunately, the Manchester 1B was busy once more, with a 1-3 groundout sandwiched between two 6-3 plays. And so, a little over 100 minutes after the first pitch of the game, six-and-a-half innings had been completed and the A's had triumphed 13-2.

Special mention must go to the A's Paul Fagan, for his awesome performance over the two games. Consider the following - Paul allowed nine hits and two runs, only one of them earned, over eight innings of pitching. He also recorded nine strikeouts and issued only one free pass. With the bat, Paul was even more impressive. On the ten occasions that he came to the plate over the course of the two games, Paul failed to get on base only once, a .900 on-base percentage. He managed five walks, two singles, a double and a triple, scoring eight runs. Only a short distance behind Paul comes Danny Allen. He may have struggled at times in his first outing of the season on the mound, but in no way struggled with the bat. Two home runs in one day is pretty special, particularly considering that Danny now has three for the A's this season whilst the A's have managed only three home runs in the last three seasons!

All in all, a special day for Manchester and all those at Allen Field. A long uphill slog in Game One was followed by a tight pitching duel in Game Two. Both games were a fine example to any spectator of how the game of baseball should be played, with magnificent spirit from both teams, fine pitching, solid hitting, and strong defensive-infield work. In truth, both games could have gone either way, a credit to the players and managers of both teams. Whilst the Pumas are still searching for that elusive first victory of the season, they did themselves proud on Sunday, and have made a lot of progress in a very short space of time. For Manchester, Sunday saw the first time in a long time that the A's have won both sides of a double-header, and the first A's home victory for approximately two years.

Next week, both teams face a much tougher struggle. The Pumas face a difficult away trip to Barnsley, whilst the A's entertain the Edinburgh Diamond Devils, a team renown for their pitching strength and depth.

• MVP - Paul Fagan
• Game Balls - Danny Allen, Jim Gunn, Pete Marchment
• Bonehead - Steve Smith

It's raining again (8/6) - by Ian Marchment

Edinburgh Diamond Devils P-P Manchester A's
Edinburgh Diamond Devils P-P Manchester A's

For the first, and probably not the last, time this season the weather turned against Manchester Baseball Club. The A's have had some close shaves already this year with the dreaded rain, but have so far managed to fulfil all scheduled fixtures. So what were the odds of completing a DH against the visiting Edinburgh Diamond Devils? Before you answer that question, consider the following:

The temperature at the MBC ground the day before topped eighty degrees, without a cloud in the sky.
It was the first trip to Manchester by either Scottish team so far this season.
It was the only scheduled fixture between Edinburgh and the A's.

Yeah, you guessed it, we never stood a chance.

I must take a short break at this point to say a HUGE thank you and pass on my great respect to the Edinburgh Diamond Devils for their class. Earlier in the week, MBC Bronco coach Noel Connally tragically passed away following a heart attack. The minute-long silence held before the A's game was impeccably observed by all present, and a big vote of thanks goes from all at MBC to the Devils.

The Devils were able to get off to a flying start in the top of the first inning of Game One. Danny Allen pitched well for the A's but some patient at-bats and good hits from the Devils, plus A's C Ian Marchment allowing a number of passed balls, meant that the Devils were able to bring runners home. The A's responded in the bottom of the inning, facing Devils P Tommy Booth. Two walks and an RBI single from 2B Steve Smith brought home a single runner for the A's.

The top of the second should have told us all that we needed to know. A 15-minute rain delay brought play to a halt, but the shower passed and play resumed. The Devils brought home further runs, again due to some fine hitting. In the bottom of the inning, the A's loaded the bases, but 2B Steve Smith was struck out by Booth. At the end of the second, the score stood at Devils 5, A's 1.

Before the third inning could get underway, umpire Ronan Dunne called a further rain delay due to the onset of a further downpour. There was to be no further play. After an hour of continuous rain, with no let-up in sight, there were numerous pitch inspections by the umpire and players from both teams. With the mound seeming to be deteriorating, and standing water gathering at all three bases, umpire Dunne made the call to officially end the day's activities.

The decision was not universally popular, and understandably so. The Devils had travelled a long way, and had no further fixture against the A's later in the season to help out. With only two innings having been played, neither game was official and both would have to be played from scratch at some point. Much of the debate centred around the mound, which resembled a building site more than a baseball field, but the final decision was reached on the grounds of player safety.

All in all, not the day or the result that anyone expected or wished for. Having said that, if only one Manchester fixture has to be re-arranged, and none are lost completely, because of the weather, it will be little short of a miracle. Can't see it somehow.

• MVP - None
• Game Balls - Steve Smith, Ian Marchment
• PMPB (Post-Match Pub Bonehead) - Ian Marchment

A game of two halves (22/6) - by Ian Marchment

Manchester A's 15-27 Barnsley Strikers

Sunburn, some demons exorcised, plenty of singles, and some horrendous fielding. Yep, that'll be the A's at Barnsley then. Barnsley's field has previously been nicknamed "Siberia", but that implies very low temperatures. Not so on June 22nd, where both teams had to endure temperatures around the eighty degree mark in pursuit of a single-game victory.

Since the formation of the Manchester A's at the start of the 1998 season, there have been eleven games between the A's and the Strikers. In the six games in Manchester, the teams have won three apiece (although Manchester's three victories came by way of 9-0 forfeits at the end of the 2000 season), and the average score would go 10.3 to 9.6 in favour of Barnsley. However, in the five games in Barnsley, the home team is unbeaten, and the average score stands at 31.2 to 5.2. No wonder the A's have some demons as far as "Siberia" is concerned (the 45-5 and 40-4 games stand out above the others for obvious reasons).

The A's would however be able to lay some of those demons to rest. They took heart from the return from injury of Game One pitcher Liam Dickinson, as well as the fact that Barnsley had apparently struggled at times during the first half of the season. Chris Hewitt took the mound for the Strikers in the top of the first inning, facing A's lead-off batter Ronan Dunne. Ronan reached base on a fielding error, and promptly stole to third. A walk and a steal put Steve Smith on second. When Paul Fagan was able to reach first on a fielding error, Dunne came around to score the first A's run of the game. Which brought Danny Allen to the plate with two men on. Over the past few weeks, Danny had made rather a habit of hitting home runs in the last A's inning of the game. Not so on this day. He smashed a pitch over the right field fence for his fourth homer of the year for the A's, in only four games, increasing the A's lead to 4-0. Fly ball outs for Jim Gunn and Liam Dickinson, plus a groundout for Ian Marchment allowed Hewitt to clamp down on the A's, and give his team a chance.

They didn't take it in the bottom of the first. Liam Dickinson's strong pitching was aided by some tight defensive work, and the A's had a shutout inning. Things were perhaps looking up as Manchester came to bat in the top of the second. Hopes were short-lived. Two more flyballs and a strikeout sentenced the A's to a three-up, three-down inning, but their lead was still intact at 4-0.

It's often been the case that one bad inning at Barnsley spoils the entire day for the A's. A prime example came in 1999, when the Strikers came to bat leading 6-2. When they had finished, 33 batters had come to the plate and 29 of them had scored. 6-2 had become 35-2 and the day was over. Those present in 1999 could not help but have flashbacks in the bottom of the second as the Strikers took advantage of their home field's "quirks" to bring home 13 runs. A number of singles, a number of fielding errors, and a number of throwing errors did nothing to help Dickinson's cause.

In previous years, the A's heads might have dropped. Not so this year. The A's came back in the top of the third with four runs of their own, thanks to singles from Steve Smith, Paul Fagan, and Ian Marchment, and a walk to Danny Allen. With two down, Pete Marchment pushed for more runs after hitting a ball to the fence. Unfortunately, a fine throwing relay allowed the Strikers to tag Marchment coming into third base to end the inning. As with the bottom of the first inning, the A's learned from the Strikers, and held their ground well to shutout Barnsley in the bottom of the third. After three innings, the Strikers held the lead 13-8.

Steve Smith's second walk of the game was the highlight of the top of the fourth for the A's. It came amidst two strikeouts and a groundout, meaning the A's had gone four-up, three-down, and had been unable to narrow the gap between the teams. The A's were able to hold things together defensively in the bottom of the inning, again retiring the Barnsley side without a run having crossed the plate. At the end of the 4th, the score remained at 13-8.

The top of the fifth was to see a remarkable fight-back from the A's, as well as the end of the Barnsley starting pitcher Hewitt. The inning did not start well with Danny Allen striking out. However, a double from Dunne and singles from Gunn, Dickinson, Pete Marchment, Smith and Fagan brought home five A's runs to tie the game at 13-13. Kris Allott replaced Hewitt on the mound for the Strikers, and was able to end the inning with no further damage. All the A's now needed to do was maintain their tight defence and look to stretch their lead in the top of the sixth. Unfortunately, the bottom of the 5th didn't quite go to plan. A tiring Dickinson was replaced on the mound by Paul Fagan, but Paul was not helped by the A's around him. At exactly the wrong moment, the A's fielders reverted to their second inning playing style. Flyballs were dropped, groundballs were not fielded, and simple throws to bases were not made. At the end of the carnage, or the fifth as it was correctly titled, the home team had added eight more runs to take the lead 21-13.

Manchester had not quite given up the fight though. Jim Gunn began the top of the sixth with a fine double, and came around to score when Ian Marchment reached base on an error. Although Pete Marchment struck out, the Strikers' catcher was unable to hold on to the ball, and then overthrew first in an attempt to retire the batter. Pete's brother Ian was able to use this opportunity to score the second A's run of the inning. Although Pete was to reach third, a strikeout and a groundout ended the inning for the A's with only two runs having scored. In the bottom of the inning, the A's reverted to their playing style of the first, third and fourth innings. They were able to retire the home team without a runner having crossed the plate, and now trailed 21-15.

Steve Smith led off the top of the 7th for the A's by striking out. However, he was able to reach base following a dropped third strike. Unfortunately, the A's were not able to follow up on this stroke of fortune. The next two batters struck out, and Jim Gunn then hit into a 6-3 groundout to end the inning. Barnsley mustered six runs in the bottom of the seventh, following a brief discussion of the "slaughter rule" when the score stood at 25-15, to take the lead 27-15.

Manchester now needed three runs to make the Strikers bat again. Barnsley P Kris Allott was obviously keen to see an end to the day's events, and threw two further strikeouts. He did issue a walk to Ian Marchment, but the runner was stranded at third as the final out of the game was made. Final score: 27-15 to Barnsley.

A gorgeous day in "Siberia" was not what the A's had anticipated, but they used the day well. They may not have conquered their winless-streak jinx at Barnsley, but they gave the Strikers a good run for their money, and actually led at one point. Unfortunately, they let themselves down defensively, and made far more errors in the field than usual. The Strikers used their field to maximum advantage, and Kris Allott pitched strongly in relief.

A good spirit throughout allowed the game to ebb and flow, although the A's will be checking the rulebook to see if there is anything in there about allowing a 23-stone man to chase a foul ball dressed only in a jockstrap! Those of you who took part in the caption competition on the Strikers' website will know that everyone present witnessed a sight for sore eyes. If they weren't sore before, they sure would have been afterwards. Not for the faint of heart or weak of stomach.

Next week, Barnsley travel to Glasgow for a double-header against the Stars. The A's have another trip to Yorkshire, this time a DH against their long-time friendly rivals, the Sheffield Bladerunners.

• MVP - Danny Allen/Steve Smith
• Game Balls - Liam Dickinson, Jim Gunn
• Bonehead - Manchester A's defensively

I always said that drinking was good for you (29/6) - by Ian Marchment

Manchester A's 14-4 Sheffield Bladerunners

Could it be true? Could it be that there would be two consecutive weekends of Northern Conference baseball in Yorkshire that both involved the Manchester A's, brilliant sunshine, and scorching temperatures? The A's found out the answer to these questions, and others besides, at the Phoenix Sports Club in Sheffield on Sunday, as they took on the Bladerunners in a double-header. Nary a cloud in the sky for the entire day left both teams applying the suntan lotion as frequently as possible.

It was A's OF Rob Taylor's birthday on Saturday, and let's just say that he decided to celebrate that fact on Saturday evening. Sunday morning came around early for Rob, and he didn't feel too good upon arrival in Yorkshire. Neither did Jim Gunn, who had what might be described as a nausea attack shortly before Game One. Illnesses and hangovers, far from spoiling the day for Gunn and Taylor, actually led to the kind of day that most players dream about. The A's would be without their regular lead-off man, Ronan Dunne, thanks to an ankle injury sustained at Barnsley the week before.

Karl Hannan took the mound for the home team, and promptly issued a walk to Steve Smith. However, a strikeout and two flyballs ended the inning with Smith still stranded at first. Just like the A's, the Bladerunners were unable to bring any runners home in the bottom of the first, thanks in part to an excellent catch in right field by Rob Taylor and some fine pitching from Paul Fagan.

The A's were able to bring home three runs in the top of the second, thanks to singles from Jim Gunn, Pete Marchment, and Rob Taylor, together with walks drawn by Chris Jackson, Steve Smith, and Paul Fagan. However, Hannan was able to strike out two of the A's (including Ian Marchment's second in two trips to the batter's box) to limit the damage to three. In the bottom of the inning, Sheffield replied with two runs of their own, but were again denied a hit by a fine catch in RF.

The Sheffield P must have been cursing his luck in the top of the third inning. Jim Gunn drew a walk to lead off the inning, but Hannan was quickly able to get two outs thanks to flyballs. He then struck out Birthday Boy Taylor, but the catcher was unable to hold on, and Taylor reached first safely. This was to hurt the Bladerunners, as both Taylor and the two subsequent A's batters would not only get on base, but also come around to score runs. Paul Fagan flew out to the Sheffield 3B to make the third out, but not before Manchester had put another four runs on the board. In the bottom of the third, Paul Fagan was ruthless on the mound, and Rob Taylor was equally ruthless in RF. The Sheffield side was retired without a run having been scored, to leave the score at 7-2 after three innings.

Jim Gunn scored his third run in three plate appearances in the top of the fourth inning, and he was joined in scoring by A's manager Chris Jackson. However, some fine defensive-infield work by Sheffield kept the damage to two runs, even though the A's loaded the bases with two out. Again, the Bladerunners were unable to turn their solid defensive work into offensive production, and were retired without having dented home plate. The score now stood at 9-2 after four innings.

The A's came to bat in the top of the fifth inning with the slaughter rule in mind. The heat of the day drove the away team to seek an end to Game One at the earliest possible opportunity, and with this in mind, the A's brought home three runs, two in typical Danny Allen-fashion. Yes, you've guessed it. After Paul Fagan drew a walk, Danny obviously decided that now was the time to extend his streak of consecutive games with a homer. The shot to RF might not have cleared the fence by a massive amount, but they all count, and this brought home two valuable runs. A walk to Chris Jackson and singles from Rob Taylor and Ian Marginson scored another run and left men on 2nd and 3rd with two down. The A's were unable to make these base-runners count, and the side was retired. However, the slaughter rule was now in effect, and Sheffield needed to score a single run to make the A's bat again. And all credit to them, they managed it. They manufactured a run when they needed one the most, and forced the game into a sixth inning. End of the fifth - A's 12, Sheffield 3.

Ian Marchment led off the top of the sixth by drawing a walk from Karl Hannan, followed by a steal to second. Paul Fagan followed this with a double, but a fine relay throw from the outfield to home plate saw Marchment tagged out by the Sheffield catcher. Danny Allen followed his home run with a single, bringing home Fagan to bring the slaughter rule into effect once more. Another single from Jim Gunn brought Allen home, and stretched the A's lead still further. The Bladerunners were able to retire the next two Manchester batters without any further scoring, but now needed two runs to take the game the full distance of seven innings. It was not to be. Although Sheffield battled hard, and brought home one run, they were unable to bring home the second, and the A's celebrated their fourth victory of the season by a final score of 14-4.

So much for hangovers having a detrimental effect on a player's performance. Rob Taylor made four or five excellent catches in RF, and went 2 for 3 at the plate with a walk. He reached base in all four plate appearances, and scored a run. Jim Gunn's nausea seemed to do the trick for him. He made a number of fine picks at 1B, went 2 for 4 with a walk whilst batting, stole three bases and scored three runs.

The twenty-minute break between games seemed far too short, as most players seemed to be starting to enjoy the sunshine a little too much. Still, two and a half hours for six innings of baseball wasn't bad, and the A's wanted to know if they could take their winning streak past one.

• MVP - Rob Taylor
• Game Balls - Jim Gunn, Chris Jackson
• Bonehead - None

Oh dear Lord, I have seen no-hit Hell (29/6) - by Ian Marchment

Manchester A's 2-34 Sheffield Bladerunners

I'm going to attempt to recreate Igor's inimitable style for the first section of this game report.