Somerset upbeat after Jamie Overton back diagnosis

Jamie Overton should still be able to play "a significant part" in Somerset's season, despite being diagnosed with a 'hot-spot' in his lower back.

Overton, the 23-year-old fast bowler, missed the second half of the 2016 season after sustaining a stress fracture in the lower back. So when he felt pain in the same area after bowling for England Lions against South Africa A, there was some concern he may have suffered a recurrence. But while a scan has shown some inflammation, the problem has been caught early enough to ensure he should not require a lengthy spell on the sidelines.

"We remain hopeful Jamie will play a significant part in our season," Somerset's director of cricket, Matt Maynard, told ESPNcricinfo. "He won't play against Yorkshire next week and he might be rested for two or three weeks, but we hope he'll be fine by the time we play Surrey in early August.

"This is not a recurrence of the stress fracture he had last year. But the scans did show a slight edema or hot-spot so we will have to manage him carefully over the next few weeks. He is not feeling any pain and I'm expecting him to play a part in our T20 campaign."

The news will come as a relief to the England team management, too. Overton has bowled impressively this season, combining his natural pace with much improved control. He was especially impressive in the Lions victory over South Africa A, claiming five top-order wickets in the match. He remains an outside bet to win a place on the Ashes tour.

"He has really progressed," Maynard agreed. "But he's a young man and his bones probably aren't fully matured. There is a lot of energy put through his body in bowling the ball at the pace he does and we will need to look after him. I'd expect him to have a graded return to cricket in a couple of weeks."