Without funds and facing cancellation, David English, a former manager of the Bee Gees and Eric Clapton, was asked to finance the tournament and agreed to on the condition he could name the tournament after his Bunbury Tales children's books.
[1][2][3] The festival was first held in 1987, remaining under the management of the English Schools Cricket Association.
The England and Wales Cricket Board took over the running of the tournament in 2018, renaming the festival to include the name of its founder.
[3][4] The current format sees 56 players divided into four squads based on their county of origin: London & East, South & West, Midlands and North.
[3][4] England football internationals Joe Hart and Phil Neville have also played at the festival.