Bunbury Festival: Gale displays bravery on path to main stage (30 July 1999)
The absence of John Sutton from the Bunbury Festival for under-15 players in Devon this week was another reminder that cricket would always be overshadowed by football when the possibility of a career entered the equation
30-Jul-1999
30 July 1999
Bunbury Festival: Gale displays bravery on path to main stage
Charles Randall
The absence of John Sutton from the Bunbury Festival for under-15
players in Devon this week was another reminder that cricket would
always be overshadowed by football when the possibility of a career
entered the equation.
Sutton seems certain to follow his brother Chris, the L10 million
Chelsea and England forward, into professional football as a result
of his call-up for England Under-16 training.
An all-rounder, John would have captained the Midlands, but he will
not now be emulating Gary Lineker, Phil Neville and his brother as
future international footballers showing off their cricket pedigree
among the best under-15 players.
England's entire senior Test side, apart from the New Zealand-raised
Andrew Caddick, have participated in this festival and perhaps one
day Gareth Cross, son of the former West Ham footballer David Cross,
could don the wicketkeeping gloves at the highest level.
The North, Cross's team, won the area tournament, in sweltering heat,
in which only one century was scored - by Ben Duncan, of St Paul's
School, for the South, at Exmouth's sloping seaside ground.
Yesterday, Andrew Gale, from Whitcliffe Mount, a non-cricket school
in Cleckheaton, scored 133 not out with a bruised forearm after being
hit by successive balls from James Burman on the first day of the
two-day match finale. He was supported by Bilal Shafayat, from
Nottinghamshire, probably the best batsman on view during the week.
Despite the long list of former Bunbury Festival boys now playing
county cricket, only a small percentage from each year excel at
professional level for various reasons, but this could change as the
result of an England and Wales Cricket Board scheme using individual
year-on-year videotaping.
This winter, for the first time, each player in a national under-15
scheme will be recorded in action and again each following year on
the same tape for immediate comparison. The relationship between
physical development and playing technique can be analysed.
Paul Farbrace, the ECB coach at the festival, said the video system
should ensure players were sent back to their counties with a proper
report of their progress.
He said: "Instead of the counties saying we've messed their players
up, we can show them on video that this is what we've seen. We can
say this is why the player has developed a sore knee or a bad back
and so on. Players can change a lot physically at this age.
"There is no clear-cut answer to why more players aren't developing
at the highest level. It's too easy to blame the counties. The ECB
are trying to give the kids the best possible opportunity to
progress."
Next year's Bunbury Festival is to be held at Ampleforth School in
Yorkshire, and the Costcutter-sponsored Under-15 World Cup in England
will add extra incentive.
Bunbury Festival:
1, North (Daily Telegraph medals); 2, South; 3, Midlands; 4, West.
Daily Telegraph allrounder: Gareth Andrew (West) 71not & 2-36 v South.
Gray Nicolls outstanding performance: Nick White (North) 8-42 v West.
Exmouth (first day of two): ESCA U-15 223-1 dec (A Gale 133not, B
Shafayat 73not); HMC U-15 139-2 (S James 61, B Duncan 47not).
Source :: Electronic Telegraph (https://www.telegraph.co.uk)