Jamie Overton

It did not take long for Jamie Overton to attract the attention of England's selectors. Blessed with unusual pace and height (he is 6ft 5ins), Overton was called into the England squad for the ODI series against Australia at the end of 2013 aged just 19 and with only 13 List A games behind him.

However, it was only in 2022 that Jamie - three minutes younger than his twin, Craig - finally earned international honours when he was selected for the third Test against New Zealand at Headingley. Devon Conway, an emerging scourge of England, was his maiden Test victim before picking up Tom Latham in the second innings. But it was his batting that stole the headlines: a composed 97 from No.8 digging the hosts out of a hole and underlining his all-round capabilities.

It was in keeping with his work that summer for Surrey, having moved on from his home county Somerset in 2020. His 34 wickets at 25.64 in ten matches, including a best of 6 for 61 against Yorkshire at Scarborough, was supplemented by 355 runs. Without him, the Championship title would have been a much tougher ask that season. Such was his commitment to the cause, he felled Craig with a vicious bouncer when both locked horns during Somerset's visit of the Oval in June. It was the first time he had bowled at his brother in the Championship. Craig, thankfully, was able to shake off the blow, returning to the crease following a concussion test after Jamie had felled Josh Davey in the next over.

Alas, a stress fracture of the back picked up at the start of 2023 while playing in the ILT20 for Gulf Giants ruled him out of the entirety of that summer. It was the continuation of an unfortunate theme of injuries restricting the progress of this goliath of a cricketer.

It was while representing Somerset in 2013 against the touring Australians that he first piqued the interest of England, notable their bowling coach at the time David Saker. Some, such as former England captain Mike Atherton, suggested he could be an outside bet for a place in the Ashes tour that winter and a haul of 6 for 95 against Middlesex in May 2013 did his claim no harm. Instead he was chosen for the Lions tour of Sri Lanka that winter, but was obliged to pull out due to a knee injury.

Along with Craig, he was called into England's one-day squad against New Zealand in 2015 as injury replacements, briefly encouraging excitement that, at 21, they could become the first twins to represent England in an international match, the closest that England ever came to that being the time Eric Bedser joined Sir Alec in a tour game in Tasmania on the 1950/51 tour of Australia.

Both twins progressed through the Devon ranks and, having graduated to first team club cricket at Instow CC the age of 14, were monitored by Somerset from the time they were 15. Mixing the odd jaffa with a liberal sprinkling of short and wide deliveries, Jamie evoked memories of Andre van Troost when he first appeared in the Somerset first team as a gangly 18-year-old. He made his England U19 debut in 2011, his first-class debut in May 2012, a few weeks after Craig, then played for England U19s in the World Cup in Australia and toured South Africa with the same squad. A spell of bowling against Australia in Townville in which he exceeded 150kph attracted attention. He made his Lions debut in August 2013.

Overton's belligerence occasionally came with the bat as well. One of the most entertaining forays came in a stand 69 in 57 balls against Warwickshire for the 10th-wicket with his brother in 2014. A half-century in 18 balls against Yorkshire at Taunton the following year was the fastest Championship half-century for a No. 11 since balls were officially recorded and once again Craig was at the other end.

Both Overtons were called up to an England Performance Programme fast bowling camp in South Africa as 2015 neared its close, their careers still progressing hand in hand. Jamie was named in one newspaper headline as England's hottest property - sadly, if he read down the page, the headline writer had mixed him up with his brother.

Some rapid spells followed in 2016, with the suggestion of improved accuracy, too, before a back stress fracture ended his season in July and left him aiming to recover fitness in time to join an England Lions fast bowling camp in South Africa. A back injury again intervened a year later.

Injuries explained why the Overtons rarely teamed up together. A matchwinning effort against Yorkshire in the Championship at Headingley was one exception, once again encouraging west country hopes that the Overtons could stand alongside one another in an international XI. With both regulars on the pace bowling contracts list, it is a dream that is very much still alive.