MIDDLESEX YOUNGSTERS START WELL AT BUNBURY FESTIVAL
Two Middlesex youngsters have made an impressive start to this year's Bunbury Festival, with both Nathan Fernandes and Reiss Walker hitting half-centuries early in the competition.
Unfortunately however, having initially been selected for Bunbury Festival, a third Middlesex youngster, Henry Leach, who joined Middlesex from Berkshire earlier this summer through the two club's ongoing partnership, had to withdraw from the Festival through injury.
The ECB David
English Bunbury Festival, now in its 33rd year, takes place this year at Felstead School, Essex, between the 4th and the 9th of August, and brings together the most talented of the under 15 schoolboy cricketers from around England
and Wales.
Players will contest 50-over and T20 matches for their regional sides over the course of the week, allowing the young cricketers the opportunity to benchmark themselves against their peers from different parts of the country.
On Sunday both Fernandes and Walker featured in their London and East side's opening clash of the Festival, a T20 encounter against the Midlands.
Chasing the Midlands total of 147 for 2, Fernandes opened the batting for London and East and smashed 68 off just 49 balls, hitting four maximums to see his side to victory by eight wickets.
Yesterday it was Walker's turn to shine, as the London and East played their first 50-over encounter of the Festival. Whilst the North prevailed, winning by 68 runs, Middlesex's Walker top scored for his side as London and East tried in vain to chase 276 for victory, hitting a run a ball 71 in his side's total of 207.
London and East are back in action again today against the Midlands in a fifty over clash and then again on Thursday against the South and West in the same format.
