Yorkshire’s six U15 North of England representatives have had a fantastic week at this year’s Bunbury Festival as North emerged victorious over Midlands, London & East and South & West in the prestigious U15 competition.
The four highest run-scorers for North during the Festival were all from Yorkshire, with Will Bennison (166 runs 41.5) the leading run scorer, followed by Ed Burch (142 runs 35.5), Tom Fraine (140 runs 35) and Owen Smith (117 runs 23.4). Joe Thompson proved the leading wicketkeeper at the competition across all regions, with 13 victims (8 stumping and 5 catches). All-rounder Burch also claimed 8 wickets @ 16 as North’s second highest wicket taker, with fellow spinner Ibrahim Ahmed also claiming an impressive 6 wickets at an average of just 19.5.
The highlight of the tournament from Yorkshire’s point of view came on the penultimate day, as Bennison and Burch put on 214 runs for the first wicket to beat the Midlands, with both players hitting centuries together – Burch 114 from 94 balls and Bennison 107* from 115 balls.
Yorkshire’s Head of Boys Performance Pathway, James Martin, said: “We are extremely proud of our young cricketers, and they have done amazingly well at Bunbury this year. They are all fantastic role models and brilliant ambassadors for Yorkshire.
“We’re looking forward to welcoming them back into the Yorkshire ranks for the remainder of the season and working with them to help make them the best cricketers they can possibly be. We are truly lucky to have them.”
