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The absence of John Sutton from the Bunbury Festival for under-15 players in Devon this week was another reminder that cricket would always be overshadowed by football when the possibility of a career entered the equation.

Sutton seems certain to follow his brother Chris, the L10 million Chelsea and England forward, into professional football as a result of his call-up for England Under-16 training.

An all-rounder, John would have captained the Midlands, but he will not now be emulating Gary Lineker, Phil Neville and his brother as future international footballers showing off their cricket pedigree among the best under-15 players.

England's entire senior Test side, apart from the New Zealand-raised Andrew Caddick, have participated in this festival and perhaps one day Gareth Cross, son of the former West Ham footballer David Cross, could don the wicketkeeping gloves at the highest level.

The North, Cross's team, won the area tournament, in sweltering heat, in which only one century was scored - by Ben Duncan, of St Paul's School, for the South, at Exmouth's sloping seaside ground.

Yesterday, Andrew Gale, from Whitcliffe Mount, a non-cricket school in Cleckheaton, scored 133 not out with a bruised forearm after being hit by successive balls from James Burman on the first day of the two-day match finale. He was supported by Bilal Shafayat, from Nottinghamshire, probably the best batsman on view during the week.

Despite the long list of former Bunbury Festival boys now playing county cricket, only a small percentage from each year excel at professional level for various reasons, but this could change as the result of an England and Wales Cricket Board scheme using individual year-on-year videotaping.

This winter, for the first time, each player in a national under-15 scheme will be recorded in action and again each following year on the same tape for immediate comparison. The relationship between physical development and playing technique can be analysed.

Paul Farbrace, the ECB coach at the festival, said the video system should ensure players were sent back to their counties with a proper report of their progress.

He said: ``Instead of the counties saying we've messed their players up, we can show them on video that this is what we've seen. We can say this is why the player has developed a sore knee or a bad back and so on. Players can change a lot physically at this age.

``There is no clear-cut answer to why more players aren't developing at the highest level. It's too easy to blame the counties. The ECB are trying to give the kids the best possible opportunity to progress.''

Next year's Bunbury Festival is to be held at Ampleforth School in Yorkshire, and the Costcutter-sponsored Under-15 World Cup in England will add extra incentive.

Bunbury Festival:

1, North (Daily Telegraph medals); 2, South; 3, Midlands; 4, West.

Daily Telegraph allrounder: Gareth Andrew (West) 71not & 2-36 v South.

Gray Nicolls outstanding performance: Nick White (North) 8-42 v West.

Exmouth (first day of two): ESCA U-15 223-1 dec (A Gale 133not, B Shafayat 73not); HMC U-15 139-2 (S James 61, B Duncan 47not).