Another glorious Sunday greeted us at Ware, with the sun blazing down, the outfield taking on that familiar golden-yellow summer glow, and the humidity making everyone question whose bright idea cricket was in the first place. As ever, Julian had prepared an absolute belter of a wicket, giving both sides every chance of putting on a good show.

Captain Will Tyrer once again worked his magic assembling the traditional Sunday XI – a delightful blend of youth, experience and people who'd remembered they were available at the last minute. The announcement that this would be 30 overs per side (and absolutely no longer!) was met with genuine applause from both teams. A rare moment of complete agreement on a cricket field.

Ware were asked to field first, and Will expertly rotated no fewer than ten bowlers. The standout performer was debutant Sulaiman—what a find! He looked completely at home with the ball and backed it up brilliantly in the field. Maci deservedly picked up a wicket thanks to a superb catch from Carl, while Joel bowled an excellent spell to keep County Hall's most dangerous batter under control. Kev chipped in with his customary wickets (as he always seems to), and the fielding was sharp throughout. Sulaiman stole the show with two outstanding catches and very nearly added a third for good measure.

County Hall batted impressively throughout and finished on 171, with it being particularly nice to see former Ware player John Schlappfer back at the crease.

Chasing 172 was never going to be straightforward, and although Joel and Nav departed early, Ware settled into the chase nicely. Steve P and Kev played some lovely attacking shots all around the wicket, regularly finding the boundary and keeping the scoreboard moving. Then came Sulaiman with a batting masterclass, not only entertaining everyone but also successfully winning a bet with his dad by cracking a boundary—proof that family bragging rights can be as valuable as runs. There were excellent contributions from Maci too, while Carl recorded his highest score, capping a fine all-round afternoon.

Despite the spirited effort, Ware finished 20 runs short, but this was one of those matches where everyone walked off smiling.

Huge thanks to County Hall Old Boys for another superbly played game in exactly the right spirit. It was also fantastic to welcome back familiar faces, including former stalwarts Batchy and Ian Hibbeard. And finally, a special mention for the opposition, who turned up with two actual umpires. Two! Sunday cricket doesn't get much more luxurious than that.