David English, founder of the ESCA Bunbury Under-15 festival, held his hands up yesterday and admitted that the seeds of England's "great jellybean mystery" could never have been sown at a Bunbury festival.
"Barging and nasty sniping, vindictive, bully-boy tactics are something we would never condone at a festival," said English yesterday. "Cricket must remain a gentlemanly game, played with humour but in the right spirit. We try and educate our boys that there is no room for sledging in the game."
English, regarded by many senior cricketers in the land as "the godfather of English cricket," oversaw the 21st staging of the Bunbury Festival this year in Kingston-Upon-Hull.
For those 21 years, English cricket's avuncular figure has assisted in the development of 178 15-year-olds going on to play first-class cricket, with 48 of those players earning full England caps. He is still in contact with many of the England senior team.
There were no jelly beans evident during play this year, but there were plenty of visits to the tuck shop at Hymers College in Hull, with play interrupted by rain.
At the close of the festival, when the England under-15 squad was announced, four boys were chosen as Bunbury/Telegraph scholars and they will attend the ECB National Academy at Loughborough University early next year with senior England cricketers.
This is the fifth year of the Bunbury/Telegraph scholarships, and the boys who have attended the week have been greatly influenced by those they rub shoulders with. Several of the scholars are already making their mark. Four years ago, Adil Rashid was the Telegraph 'outstanding player of the tournament,' and he has gone on to become the Amir Khan of English cricket: a knock-out talent with both bat and ball.
Another scholar, James Harris, of Glamorgan, became the youngest cricketer to take 10 wickets in a match, aged 17, for his county on debut earlier this season. Other scholars are also making their mark: Rory Hamilton-Brown has been selected to captain England under-19s, with fellow scholars Stuart Meaker, Greg Wood, Alex Wakely and Billy Godleman also selected for the side.
This year's quartet heading for Loughborough are Adam Davies, a wicketkeeper/batsman, from Brighton College, who has recently set a record score of 177 for his school, to eclipse the 149 mark set by incumbent senior Test wicketkeeper Matt Prior when he was at the College.
The second scholar is Lewis Gregory, a batsman, from Hele's School, Plymouth and Plympton Cricket Club. His top score is 125 and his hero is Michael Vaughan.
Matthew Dunn, a bowler from Bearwood College and Egham Cricket Club, plays for Surrey.
Dunn has best figures of seven for 21 in an eight-over spell.
The fourth scholar is Zafar Ansari, the first Bunbury cricketer to be awarded the scholarship two years running and who was also named England U-15 captain at the closing ceremony. He was 14 when he went to the ECB Academy earlier this year with Joe Root (batsman, Yorkshire), Michael Bates (wicketkeeper, Hampshire) and Nathan Buck (bowler, Leicestershire).
Ansari, who attends Hampton School, is a formidable all-rounder (although he is still the smallest of the four scholars this year), with a career best 145 not out against Cornwall, for Surrey, and figures of 20-6-33-6 for the South against the Midlands in the Bunbury Festival. By all accounts, he has magic not only in his fingers for spinning the ball, but also he is a gifted concert pianist. Some guys have all the luck.
"Barging and nasty sniping, vindictive, bully-boy tactics are something we would never condone at a festival," said English yesterday. "Cricket must remain a gentlemanly game, played with humour but in the right spirit. We try and educate our boys that there is no room for sledging in the game."
English, regarded by many senior cricketers in the land as "the godfather of English cricket," oversaw the 21st staging of the Bunbury Festival this year in Kingston-Upon-Hull.
For those 21 years, English cricket's avuncular figure has assisted in the development of 178 15-year-olds going on to play first-class cricket, with 48 of those players earning full England caps. He is still in contact with many of the England senior team.
There were no jelly beans evident during play this year, but there were plenty of visits to the tuck shop at Hymers College in Hull, with play interrupted by rain.
At the close of the festival, when the England under-15 squad was announced, four boys were chosen as Bunbury/Telegraph scholars and they will attend the ECB National Academy at Loughborough University early next year with senior England cricketers.
This is the fifth year of the Bunbury/Telegraph scholarships, and the boys who have attended the week have been greatly influenced by those they rub shoulders with. Several of the scholars are already making their mark. Four years ago, Adil Rashid was the Telegraph 'outstanding player of the tournament,' and he has gone on to become the Amir Khan of English cricket: a knock-out talent with both bat and ball.
Another scholar, James Harris, of Glamorgan, became the youngest cricketer to take 10 wickets in a match, aged 17, for his county on debut earlier this season. Other scholars are also making their mark: Rory Hamilton-Brown has been selected to captain England under-19s, with fellow scholars Stuart Meaker, Greg Wood, Alex Wakely and Billy Godleman also selected for the side.
This year's quartet heading for Loughborough are Adam Davies, a wicketkeeper/batsman, from Brighton College, who has recently set a record score of 177 for his school, to eclipse the 149 mark set by incumbent senior Test wicketkeeper Matt Prior when he was at the College.
The second scholar is Lewis Gregory, a batsman, from Hele's School, Plymouth and Plympton Cricket Club. His top score is 125 and his hero is Michael Vaughan.
Matthew Dunn, a bowler from Bearwood College and Egham Cricket Club, plays for Surrey.
Dunn has best figures of seven for 21 in an eight-over spell.
The fourth scholar is Zafar Ansari, the first Bunbury cricketer to be awarded the scholarship two years running and who was also named England U-15 captain at the closing ceremony. He was 14 when he went to the ECB Academy earlier this year with Joe Root (batsman, Yorkshire), Michael Bates (wicketkeeper, Hampshire) and Nathan Buck (bowler, Leicestershire).
Ansari, who attends Hampton School, is a formidable all-rounder (although he is still the smallest of the four scholars this year), with a career best 145 not out against Cornwall, for Surrey, and figures of 20-6-33-6 for the South against the Midlands in the Bunbury Festival. By all accounts, he has magic not only in his fingers for spinning the ball, but also he is a gifted concert pianist. Some guys have all the luck.
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