Mexborough and Swinton Times – Saturday 21 May 1904

A Bad Day for Wombwell

After the successes of Mitchell Main and Wombwell Main in the Mexboro’ League, the good sportsmen of Wombwell had begun to imagine themselves possessors, by right divine, of the Whitworth Cup, and their experience on Saturday must, on that account, have been particularly mortifying. Mitchell Main were handsomely beaten by Denaby Main in a high-scoring match. Mitchell’s had first knock, and thanks mainly to Russell and Jagger, put together 126, a score sufficient to win most Saturday afternoon matches and insure a drawn game in all the rest.

Denaby Main, however, not only found time to get the runs required to win, but also the ability to score them, and they were hit off for the loss of three wickets. Bury headed the poll with 61, and was well seconded by Luther Robinson and Butler. Some time ago Seth Kilner confided to me the opinion that either Denaby Main or Hoyland Silkstone would win the Mexboro’ League, and hinted that Mitchell’s would not stand in the way of either, because they were going for the United League, and would sometimes play their second team in Mexboro’ League matches. He did not anticipate then, I imagine, that Mitchell’s first team would be crumpled up by Denaby.