After amassing three successive scores over 300 in one-day cricket for the first time in their history last week, England continue to break ground with the news that the Somerset fast bowler Jamie Overton has been called up to the squad for the final two matches of the series with New Zealand, joining his similarly uncapped twin brother Craig Overton.
Jamie, the younger identical twin by three minutes, comes in for fellow quick Liam Plunkett, who suffered a calf strain during the rain-affected 13-run defeat at the Oval last Friday. He received the call-up from national selector James Whitaker less than 36 hours after all-rounder Craig replaced side-strain victim Chris Jordan, though he was unused for the three-wicket loss at the Ageas Bowl that saw the tourists take a 2-1 lead.
Were the 21-year-olds to take the field together in either Wednesday’s fourth one-dayer at Trent Bridge or the series finale at Chester-le-street on Saturday, it would represent the first time twin brothers have been named in the same England side and the first siblings to do so since Adam and Ben Hollioake played together in the 1997 one-day series with Australia and the Ashes series that followed.
While Craig, a correct and aggressive batsman who bowls right-arm fast-medium, has been a more regular member of the Somerset team in the County Championship this summer, taking seven wickets in his last outing away at Durham, brother Jamie’s addition to the England ranks represents a greater surprise, having only fleetingly shown the form that led to his only previous call-up as a reserve for the one-day series against Australia two years ago.
“Obviously it’s really pleasing that we have both been picked in the England squad,” said Craig, who toured South Africa with England Lions at the start of the year before flying home due to an ankle injury. “When Jamie was picked before me a couple of years ago I was really pleased for him but it was also an extra incentive for me to keep working – you’ve always got to think positive.”
The quicker of the two but with a touch less control, Jamie spent the bulk of last season playing in the Devon Premier League after slipping down the pecking order at Taunton, but has featured in five games in the NatWest T20 Blast this year and one championship fixture against Yorkshire, sharing a last-wicket stand of 76 from just 35 balls with Craig in what was just their ninth first-class game together.
In terms of attributes - he sends the ball down from a 6ft 5in frame – Jamie represents a prospect England are keen to develop further, having worked with him in their fast bowling performance programme in Potchefstroom, South Africa at the start of 2015.
“Jamie has been bowling quick,” said Craig. “None of the boys have been looking forward to facing him in the nets, put it that way – especially me, because he always gives me a bit of extra ‘brotherly love’.”
“I’ve probably always been a bit more the outgoing one,” said Jamie. “Craig has been more consistent as a bowler, and he’s technically the better batsman. But I’d like to think I’ve settled down a bit this year. We’ve not played that many games together for Somerset but we’ve been playing together all our lives so we’re pretty used to each other.”
Asked if brotherly rivalry, from their first games together at North Devon Cricket Club to the present, has driven both careers, Jamie added: “That’s probably helped us a little bit. One is always one step ahead of the other, and that makes the other want to catch up. That bit of competition has probably helped us get to the next level. I’m not sure many people can say they’ve got a brother playing cricket just as well as they can.”
