THE Cornwall Cricket Board is thrilled to announce that three of its promising young players from the performance pathway were selected to participate in the prestigious 2024 Bunbury Festival.

The Banbury Festival, held at the National Cricket Centre at Loughborough University, is a six-day event that showcases the top 60 under-15 male cricketers from across the country.

This festival, which has been a highlight of top end youth cricket for over 40 years and has been managed solely by the ECB for the last six years, the festival represents a significant milestone for young players aspiring to reach the highest levels of the sport.

Representing Cornwall this year were Ben Sleeman (St Austell), Toby Stoddard (Redruth), and Will MacDonald from Camborne. While Will was unfortunately unable to attend due to injury, he previously gained valuable experience at the festival in 2023 when he was selected as a year-young participant.

Pathway Lead, Chris Hunkin, expressed his pride in the selection of these players:

"It is a fantastic achievement for Cornwall to have three players selected for this prestigious festival,  the first time for many years that we've had as many. Recent players from Cornwall who have attended include Joe Phillips, Lewis Goldsworthy, and Sam Wyatt, and there have been many more over the past four decades."

"All three boys are incredibly dedicated and committed to their cricket, with a work ethic that is second to none. Despite Will's injury setback, I am confident his time will come again. Ben and Toby have both performed exceptionally well this season, playing regular Premier League cricket and excelling in our U15s, U16s, and U18s sides. Ben, in particular, has shown remarkable progress in recent weeks, a testament to the consistent effort he's put into his game. It's exciting to see their current achievements, and I look forward to their continued development."