Meet the brothers who are England’s batting future

“We are close,” smiles James Rew, turning to his younger brother Thomas. “But we are obviously very competitive. Whenever we play any sport against each other, it gets very heated, mainly squash and golf.

“When we were younger it would kick off, in everything. But we have got better in the last few years. We are a lot closer now, we are playing cricket together and spending so much time together.”

These comments distil 30 minutes in the company of the Rews, two of the brightest prospects in English batting, on a blazing Brisbane morning, before the second Ashes Test. It is a classic fraternal bond: caring, friendly, yet fiercely competitive.

Whether playing social golf or competing for places in cricket teams, James has had a four-year head-start. He currently has the more complete game (including on the course, where his handicap is plus one to Thomas’s five), but Thomas is an immensely talented cricketer snapping at his heels who has already drawn comparisons with AB de Villiers and Jos Buttler.

Thomas and James Rew — The Rew brothers would play a multitude of sports together while growing up – Chris Rew

The Rews are in the land of the Roos with England Lions. James, not 22 until January, is something of a senior pro, given he has 11 first-class hundreds. Thomas is the Joey of the squad, having made his first-class debut in the just-finished tour during which he spent his spare time cramming schoolwork.

It was a difficult tour for the Lions, ending in a brutal innings defeat at the hands of Australia A, but both Rews had their moments. James made a fine 92 not out in a win over the Prime Minister’s XI in Canberra, and was England’s 12th man on the gruesome second day of the Perth Test, a brutal introduction to Ashes cricket.

“It was an incredible experience,” he says. “Some of the loudest noise I’ve ever heard from a crowd. When [Travis Head] got 100 it went ballistic. I couldn’t hear myself think. I didn’t field, but did run drinks a lot, and it was pretty intimidating.

“It’s been cool the way England have planned it, so we are in Australia at the same time as the Ashes. If I was ever lucky enough to come on an Ashes tour, it won’t be new to me. I feel like I have got a good taste of it, so we know what it feels like.”

James Rew was on drinks duty for England during the first Test in Perth and then played for the Lions in their victory over the Prime Minister’s XI – Getty Images/Gareth Copley

Interestingly, Thomas was selected more often and took the gloves, as well as making 55 for the Lions against England at Lilac Hill, and then 47 on his first-class debut in the innings defeat by Australia A. Thomas turned 18 on the first day of the Lions’ match against the PM’s XI, the second match of the three-contest tour. His team-mates laid on a card and cake and, when the game finished the following day, he bought a round of drinks for the first time.

He is so young that, alongside playing for Somerset next summer, he hopes to play one more season of school cricket for Kings Taunton, alma mater of Buttler, Tom Banton, Sonny Baker and others. “It’s something you can’t replicate, I love playing with mates I’ve had my whole life,” he smiles. “There’s a national T20 Cup that we hopefully go all the way in.”

On tour, around his cricket, Thomas squeezed in school work as he studies for maths, economics and geography A-Levels.

“I have all my books with me,” he explains. “My teachers are sending me all the stuff they are doing in class, and I’m trying to do as much as possible. It’s tough, trying to stay on top of it. Maths is hard, especially when you’re almost teaching yourself, but there are some really good YouTube platforms I am using.”

Is James keeping a watchful eye? “I’m trying to,” he laughs. “Here and there”.

James and Thomas Rew — Big brother tried to help little brother with his homework while in Australia – Chris Rew

The pair’s age gap is big enough to mean that, but for a few club games for Taunton St Andrews, this year was the first time they have spent playing much cricket together. James captained the rookie Thomas in the One-Day Cup, and now they have gone to another level with the Lions.

Next season, Thomas’s ambition is to break into Somerset’s Championship side, and James wants to play more T20. After leaving Australia, he is off to the UAE for the ILT20 while remarkably Thomas has been picked up by Kumar Sangakkara’s Paarl Royals in the SA20, before leading England in the U19 World Cup in Zimbabwe.

On the surface, they are very similar: flame-haired keeper-batsmen, and polite, focused young men. But James is a left-handed bat who has honed his game for the longer formats, and so becoming the youngest Englishman to 10 first-class hundreds since Denis Compton.

Thomas is right-handed, and explosive, more in the image of his heroes, Buttler and Banton. He is so young that never mind not remembering Andrew Flintoff, their England Lions head coach, he does not remember Sangakkara, another mentor, batting. Rather than a child of the 2005 Ashes, he is a child of the Somerset live stream, watching his big brother.

James Rew Somerset — While James has made a name for himself in the red-ball game for Somerset, scoring 11 first-class centuries… – Getty Images /Harry Trump

Thomas Rew — …Thomas has made only one first-class appearance, but has made a good start to his professional white-ball career – Getty Images/Harry Trump

“I’ve always watched the Somerset live streams,” says Thomas. “I’ve wanted James and all the boys to do really well. It’s something I aspire to and look up to. But I’m a competitive man so I want to outscore him and hopefully one day we will take the field together in the Championship.”

James believes there will always be space for them in the same team. “It’s all pretty surreal,” he says. “I’ve always wanted to play for Somerset with him, so to do that this year in the One-Day Cup was an incredible experience.

“We obviously do the same thing, but I’d say our batting styles are pretty different. I’ve played a lot more first-class cricket, but there’s no reason to say he can’t do that in his own style. I started at No 6 but have moved to four. That’s been nice and I enjoy batting high up the order. He could probably bat somewhere in the middle order, and put pressure on bowlers, because he makes it quite hard to bowl at them. [He] puts away the short ball well and cuts really well. He will be dangerous in first-class cricket.

“We are both keepers but you don’t have to only have one keeper in the team. I’m trying to expand my batting to be able to move up the order. I wouldn’t mind maybe moving up to No 3 or opening. It would be cool to keep playing together for as long as possible, to fit [into] Somerset’s plans.”

Both men feel they have learnt a lot on this tour, not least about the fitness standards required at the highest level. For James, the focus has been on managing bounce, and a move up to the top three for Somerset could be well-timed if England’s Ashes tour continues to head south.

“You face quicker bowlers the whole time,” he says of playing in Australia. “In county cricket you face one quicker bowler every two or three weeks. It’s about trying to adapt to conditions as quickly as possible. Here you are going to get a little more bounce, so I have tried to bring myself deeper in the crease, stand up a bit taller, and I am set up for the back of a length ball, whereas in county cricket I am always just trying to protect my front shin and not get nicked off.”

Meanwhile, with help from batting coach Neil McKenzie, formerly of South Africa, Thomas has been getting a bank of red-ball practice when there are so many white-ball opportunities on offer. He faced Jofra Archer and Ben Stokes at Lilac Hill, and learnt that “I need to wait for the ball a lot longer. In red-ball cricket, you can’t get away with playing it out in front of your body”. He has adapted his trigger movement with that in mind.

“I’ve grown up watching the likes of Buttler and Banton at Somerset,” he says. “Watching them play reverse sweeps and shots like that really caught my eye. It was something I wanted to be able to play as well. I don’t have a mindset where I want to slog it all the time.

“I want to play all formats of the game, and try to put pressure back on bowlers. The longer format is going that way as well. I have always looked up to him massively, and watched James play, trying to copy bits of his batting. I am surprised we are that different, to be honest.”

From ace all-rounders to talented twins – England’s cricketing brothers

Adam and Ben Hollioake both made their Test debut for England in the Ashes at Trent Bridge in 1997 – Getty Images/Clive Mason

By Huzaifa Yousafzai

England have a long history of handing caps to talented siblings. From the Grace trio on (WG wasn’t the only Test player from the family), brothers have occasionally been a feature of team sheets. Here Telegraph Sport looks at the most recent five.

Jamie and Craig Overton

The Overton brothers are the only male twins to play for England and are both fast-bowling all-rounders. Craig made his debut during the 2017-18 Ashes tour followed by seven Tests and seven ODI’s until 2022, when Jamie replaced him. Jamie now regularly represents the white-ball side but ruled himself out of the current Ashes tour in order to preserve his body.

Tom and Sam Curran

The sons of former Zimbabwe all-rounder Kevin Curran, Sam and Tom both came through the ranks at Surrey. Tom played for England first, playing two Tests on the 2017-18 Ashes tour. Sam was picked a few months later and has represented England more often – he is a fixture in the T20 side. Middle brother Ben Curran also plays internationally, as an opener for Zimbabwe.

Adam and Ben Hollioake

Born in Melbourne, the Hollioakes were seam bowling all-rounders who debuted in the same Test during the 1997 home Ashes. Sadly, Ben was killed in a car accident in Perth at the age of 24 by which time Adam had already played his last game for England.

Chris and Robin Smith

The pair were born in South Africa to English parents. Older brother Chris played in eight Tests and four ODIs for England from 1983-86. Robin, who was five years younger, had a stellar England career playing in 62 Tests and 71 ODIs from 1988 to 1996. Robin died at the beginning of December in Perth, where he was living post-retirement.

Tony and Ian Greig

Another couple of South African-born brothers, the younger and lesser known of the pair, Ian Greig, played in two Tests for England in 1982. Tony played 58 Tests and 22 ODIs between 1972 and 1977, including a two-year stint as captain that was cut short when he announced that he was joining Kerry Packer’s World Series Cricket.

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