Worcestershire CCC have had four players selected from their academy-pathway programme for the English Schools Cricket Association Under-15s Bunbury Cricket Festival for the THIRD year running.
Dan Holland, Alex Hinkley, Pete Clark and Lewis Evans have all been selected for the Bunbury Midlands squad who will be participating in the 31st Bunburys Festival at Stowe School from July 17-21.
It is testament to the sterling work of Academy coach Elliot Wilson and the other coaches to equal the achievement of 2015 and 2016 in having a quartet of players chosen.
In 2015, Jack Haynes, Musharraf Shazad, Ewan Wilcox and Ryan Wheldon were called up and then 12 months ago it was Haynes for a second time – as captain – Zain Hassan, Matt Davies and Xavier Clarke, the brother of Joe.
The Bunbury Festival will showcase the skills of 56 of the most talented England Under-15 players in the country.
David English's annual Bunbury Festival has helped discover and nurture many talented cricketers. More than 300 Bunburys have gone onto play first class cricket – and over 60 have represented England with the latest being Haseeb Hameed.
Holland and Hinkley are part of Worcestershire CCC's Under-15 age group programme and EDP programme.
Clark and Evans are part of the County's satellite Shropshire academy which is run by former County paceman Paul Pridgeon.
Wilson said: "To have four players selected three years on the trot for the Bunburys is amazing.
"I hadn't picked up on us having done that until someone mentioned it.
"That is a good achievement and good recognition for all the hard work put in by a lot of people to support not just these players, but all our young players here at Worcestershire.
"I'm chuffed to bits for everyone involved.
"It's a bit of a different feel this year. The overall standard of the Under-15 regional squad isn't quite as high.
"I thought we could three or four selected but at the same time I also thought we might not got any in because a lot of the selections were going to be marginal.
"For us to have four selected, is credit to the lads to have shown stuff to the selectors that justified them being involved."
Wilson gave a rundown on the background of the successful quartet.
He said: "Dan Holland is a top order batter who plays for Dumbleton CC and Malvern College
"Alex Hinkley is a middle order batter who plays for Bromsgrove School and Brockhampton CC.
"Pete Clark is a left arm spinner, top order batter who plays for Shrewsbury School. Lewis Evans is a left arm spinner and middle order batter who plays for Shrewsbury."
