Ware made the short trip over to Baldock on yet another absolutely barmy day – hot, humid and the sort of weather where simply standing still feels like hard work.

Skipper Griffin arrived in an ebullient mood but, sadly, his luck at the toss deserted him once again as Ware were inserted on a patchy-looking wicket that had "interesting afternoon" written all over it.

Openers Price and Reid dug in bravely against variable bounce and sideways movement, both sporting particularly jaunty pink headbands that certainly won the style points, if not the run-scoring contest. Hugh eventually left one that unfortunately didn't leave him, while Pricey nicked a good one to slip.

From there, the hard graft continued. Griff looked in fine touch before getting himself out in slightly frustrating fashion. Joel stood firm and defiant, Henry batted with a wonderfully suave, almost Gower-esque elegance, Steve P was as vocal as ever between the wickets, Jack had the misfortune of an LBW decision, and Chambers unfurled some flamboyant strokeplay all around the square.

Despite everyone's efforts, Ware could only limp to 126 – a score that always felt just a few runs shy.

What followed, though, was a brilliant fightback with the ball. Jack and Adam produced a ferocious opening burst that had Baldock's top order shocked and in complete awe. Just when it looked like Ware might pull off something special, a stubborn partnership steadied the ship for the hosts.

There were excellent spells and wickets for Steve P, Liam and the magician Henry, and the game went right down to the wire before Baldock eventually got home by two wickets with just four balls remaining.

Special mentions must go to Joel and Will T, who both put in superb efforts in the field and never let the energy drop.

A cracking game of cricket against a very nice bunch of lads at Baldock. We came up just short this time...

Next week, we go again!

Match Report – Ware Cricket Club Men’s Second XI vs Wheathampstead Fourth XI

Widford, Saturday 27th June 2026

On a day that seemed considerably better suited to sunbathing on a beach than playing cricket, we gathered at the picturesque surroundings of Widford for an afternoon of league cricket. The ground was once again looking magnificent, and a great deal of credit must go to Julian for the countless hours he continues to devote to preparing both the wicket and outfield. Even in challenging conditions, Widford remains a wonderful place to play cricket.

For what is becoming an increasingly familiar feature of these reports, I once again lost the toss and we were invited to field. Given the temperature, this was perhaps not the outcome many of us had been hoping for.

Wheathampstead began their innings positively and quickly demonstrated why they currently occupy their lofty position in the division. Their batsmen settled quickly, scoring freely and finding gaps in the field that often appeared not to exist. They played some excellent shots and accumulated runs at an impressive rate.

Initially, wickets proved difficult to come by, although the fielding side never allowed its energy or enthusiasm to diminish. The breakthrough eventually arrived, but even then Wheathampstead continued to build their innings with purpose and confidence. Their batsmen combined sensible accumulation with aggressive stroke play, ensuring that the pressure remained firmly on the bowling side.

Despite the difficult conditions and the mounting total, the effort in the field remained excellent throughout. There were some particularly enthusiastic performances from Jamie and Alex, whose energy and commitment never wavered despite the heat. The standard of catching was also a genuine highlight of the afternoon, with excellent catches taken by Kev, Barney, Phil, and Zach.

Phil was particularly impressive with the ball, finishing with excellent figures of 3 for 23 from 6.5 overs despite the aggressive approach of the opposition batsmen. I was fortunate enough to claim 4 wickets for 40 runs from my seven overs, while Darren also bowled well to finish with 2 for 43 from seven overs.

After a long and demanding afternoon in the field, Wheathampstead were eventually dismissed for 239 in 37.5 overs. It was undoubtedly a challenging total, but the manner in which the side continued to compete, encourage one another, and maintain their commitment throughout the innings was extremely pleasing.

Following tea, it was our turn to bat, and unfortunately this is where the afternoon became considerably more difficult. The long hours in the field and the intense heat perhaps took their toll, and we struggled to establish the concentration and discipline that a chase of this nature required.

Wheathampstead bowled with accuracy and discipline, and we never quite managed to build the partnerships needed to place them under pressure. Wickets fell at regular intervals, and nobody was able to settle sufficiently to construct the sort of inni