Sunshine, Stoolball and Paella: JLN’s 2026 Summer Stoolball Social

On Tuesday 11th August, JLN welcomed clients, contacts and friends of the firm to Great Walstead School for one of our favourite events of the year: our annual summer stoolball evening.

After last year’s weather forced us indoors, we were particularly pleased to see the Sussex sunshine make an appearance this time around. With drinks flowing, plenty of friendly competition and a freshly cooked supper waiting at the end, it proved to be a fantastic evening.

Plenty of runs, although mostly for the opposition

On the pitch, Elia Neale was the standout performer for JLN, batting brilliantly and scoring more runs than the rest of the team combined.

JLN captain Dillon Olorenshaw may not have enjoyed his finest evening with the bat, but he kept spirits high throughout as our visitors began to take control of proceedings.

Despite Mark Newey doing his best to bring some much-needed fight and energy to the JLN fielding effort, the opposition put together an imposing total.

Their captain, Henry Adekoya, set the tone by scoring far too many runs far too quickly at the start of the innings. In hindsight, inviting Cameron Vaughan, Chairman of Scaynes Hill Cricket Club, to play against us may also have been something of a tactical error.

By the time JLN went in to bat, the target was always going to be a difficult one to chase. Nevertheless, there were plenty of laughs along the way and, fortunately for us, the evening was about much more than the final score.

Paella steals the show

Once the stoolball had finished, attention quickly turned to supper.

Paella Fella Limited provided three freshly cooked paellas, accompanied by bread, salad and olives, and the food was undoubtedly one of the highlights of the evening.

After an energetic evening on the pitch, or, for some, an equally energetic evening supporting from the sidelines, it was the perfect way to finish the event.

Bringing our local network together

Our annual stoolball evening has become a great opportunity to bring together members of the JLN team with clients, professional contacts, friends of the firm and others from across the Sussex business community in a relaxed setting away from the office.

While there was inevitably a competitive edge once play began, the most important part of the evening was having the chance to catch up, make new connections and enjoy some time together.

A huge thank you to everyone who joined us, whether playing or supporting from the sidelines, to Great Walstead School for once again providing such a wonderful setting, and to Paella Fella Limited for keeping everyone so well fed.

We are already looking forward to next year’s event, and, after this year’s result, perhaps a little more practice beforehand!