Bunbury Festival Becomes Part Of ECB Player Pathway

The famous Bunbury Festival will have a new name when it is held for the 32nd time this summer, at Millfield School in Somerset – reflecting the contribution of its founder and inspiration David English, and a formalisation of its position on the ECB’s Player Pathway.

The ECB David English Bunbury Festival will run from August 6-10, under the auspices for the first time of the ECB, whereas it has previously been organised by the English Schools Cricket Association (ESCA).

It will again bring together 56 of the most talented Under-15 schoolboy cricketers from England and Wales, to compete in 50-over and T20 matches – whilst also providing a platform to deliver education for players, parents and coaches.

David Graveney, the ECB’s National Performance Manager and Festival director, said: “The Bunbury Festival has become an institution in cricket since it was founded by David English in 1986, and so many of our international players will have fond memories of it as one of the first steps they took towards a successful career in the game.

“Both David and Ken Lake of ESCA have done an outstanding job over more than three decades. David’s name will always be linked with Bunbury, so it is fitting that will now be recognised in the title of the ECB David English Bunbury Festival.”

English, who was awarded the CBE in 2010 for his services to cricket and charities, said: “It’s an honour that they’ve put my name in the title, and I think it’s great that the ECB are taking a bigger role in the Festival. I’ve loved every minute since I was first asked to get involved in 1986, and it’s been such a thrill to see so many of the boys who have excelled and enjoyed themselves at the Festival go on to play for England – from Michael Vaughan and Andrew Flintoff to Joe Root and Ben Stokes.

“We have had 91 Bunburies now who have gone on to play for England, and I’ll be there again this year at Millfield looking forward to seeing some more.”

Alun Powell, the ECB’s National Talent Manager, said: “The Bunbury Festival has been invaluable to cricket over the last three decades in gathering together the outstanding Under-15s and exposing them to crucial best versus best competition.

“Now we’ve taken responsibility for the Festival, the ECB will work to maintain its relevance for young players and for cricket in England and Wales - alongside showcasing the best 15-year-olds, we can also play host to parent education sessions and coach development for Pathway coaches.

“We see it as an important stage of our Player Pathway, which continues through the Super-4s competition for Under-17s which will be held at Loughborough next month, and then up to the Young Lions programme including England Under-19s – who start their Royal London One-Day Series against South Africa at the Emirates Riverside today.”

For further information, or if you would like to attend the David English Bunbury Festival – where David English and others will be available for interview - please contact Andy Wilson on the details below.

LONDON & EAST

Atharva Prasad (Middlesex), Freddie Longley (Sussex), Monty Bradbury (Surrey), Nathan Khelawon (Essex), Tom Hinley (Sussex), Viren Patel (Middlesex), Tom Lawes (Surrey), Jack Robertson (Norfolk), Oliver Allison (Essex), Nathan Barnwell (Surrey), George Roberts (Surrey), Harry Bevan-Thomas (Kent), Ryan Karunakaran (Essex), Trishan Patel (Surrey)

SOUTH & WEST

Mo Abbas (Hampshire), Jamie Baird (Somerset), Sonny Baker (Devon), Ben Beaumont (Devon), James Coles (Oxfordshire), Alex Horton (Wales), George Langston (Hampshire), Kamran Khanna (Berkshire), Will Naish (Gloucestershire), Harry Petrie (Buckinghamshire), Tom Prest (Hampshire), Hamdi Saleem (Gloucestershire), Henry Smeed (Somerset), Zeph Wells (Isle of Wight)

MIDLANDS

Jacob Bethell (Warwickshire), Anoop Chima (Derbyshire), Joe Miszkowski (Worcestershire), Ben Martindale (Nottinghamshire), James Cronie (Northamptonshire), Roshan Balaji (Warwickshire), Alfie Blundell (Warwickshire), Raheem Ahmed (Leicestershire), Tommy Rex (Warwickshire), Prahlad Odedra (Leicestershire), Henry Cullen (Worcestershire), Josh Baker (Worcestershire), George Park (Nottinghamshire), Reehan Edavalath (Worcestershire)

NORTH

George Bell (Lancashire), Harry Caton (Lancashire), Benjamin Cliff (Yorkshire), JJ Fielding (Lancashire), Dan Ford (Yorkshire), Subhaan Mahmood (Lancashire), Alexander Selby (Lancashire), Cooper Smith (Yorkshire), Harry Sullivan (Yorkshire), Alfie Taylor-Clarke (Durham), Isaac Unsworth (Durham), Luke Young (Cheshire), Matthew Bird (Yorkshire), Will Luxton (Yorkshire)