English lessons

David English, the former manager of the Bee Gees, has agreed to extend his Bunburys patronage of schools cricket by sponsoring the national Under-13 schools competition.

The knockout tournament will now be known as the David English Bunbury Cup. The Bunburys, a team of celebrities playing to raise money for numerous charities, were formed by English and rock legend Eric Clapton.

They already raise money to stage the Under-15 regional competition, the Bunbury festival, from which the England Under-15 team is selected, but now English is keen to see talent nurtured at an even younger age. When his friend Ken Lake, secretary of the English Schools Cricket Association, told him the Under-13 competition needed a sponsor, he was only too happy to help.

"I always loved the game," says English. "But I could never play like Beefy and the next best thing is to give youngsters the chance. The more I can do to help them the better, because 10 years later they will be playing for England and that's the lift for me."

To that end he found another way to let youngsters enjoy the game. While using public school pitches such as Ampleforth and Shrewsbury for Bunbury matches, English had headmasters telling him that the facilities were not being used during the holidays and, at his suggestion, they have agreed to let secondary schools use them.

Aware that many school playing fields have been sold in recent years, English said: "I told Richard Caborn, the sports minister, about the idea and he was delighted."

English can rattle off dozens of names who have progressed from England's youngest representative age group to the senior team and is proud that the majority of the players who beat West Indies in the spring were discovered at the Under-15 Bunbury Festival.

He hopes to persuade some of his celebrity friends, who include Ainsley Harriott, Jamie Theakston and a long list of musicians, to attend the final with him at Headingley on July 10.

Meanwhile the Under-15 schools trophy continues to be sponsored by the Lord's Taverners and the Under-11 Kwik Cricket by the BBC but the Under-11 hardball competition is without a sponsor.