Prolific Rew shows England’s future is in safest of hands
Somerset youngster points way for a new generation of wicketkeeper-batsmen with twin centuries at Old Trafford
Somerset’s meeting with Lancashire petered out into what Tom Abell called a “damp squib” – and a fractious one at that.
Through some snarky tweets and earnest post-match interviews, it is not easy to know exactly why it all became quite so dull, with Somerset batting on and on to a lead of 433 before hands were shaken. Yet, according to Craig Overton at least, Somerset offered Lancashire a deal on the third day, but the hosts did not think the equation was quite right.
Perhaps out of spite, Somerset kept batting. In response, Lancashire captain Dane Vilas, 37, took his tally of first-class balls bowled from 12 to 78. George Bell, the designated wicketkeeper in this match, got through 10 overs. Josh Bohannon kept wicket.
On the pitch and online, it was all rather unedifying, but some treasure shone in the rubble. Along with another youngster, Kasey Aldridge, James Rew made a century.
It was his second of the match, third of the season and fourth in a 13-match first-class career.
Yes, the bowling of Vilas and Bell means this was probably not the 19-yearold’s hardest-fought innings yet, but his first-innings effort certainly was. Coming to the crease with Somerset 55 for four and
James Anderson purring, Rew carried Somerset to a first-innings total of 361, which put them in charge. They had the right to use the final day as they pleased, even if it was not all that entertaining.
The recall of veteran Steve Davies to open meant that, for the first time this season, Rew was not keeping wicket in this match. That he now sits top of the Division One run-scoring charts with 539 (just six behind Cheteshwar Pujara in the national stakes) shows that he is worth a place with or without the gloves. But his future appears to be as a keeper-bat, and by all accounts he has been pretty much impeccable behind the stumps when he has had his chance this year.
Rew is highly rated. His firstclass debut came not for Somerset, but a County Select XI against India in 2021, he was part of the team who reached the Under-19 World Cup final last year and he toured with the Lions this winter. There is another well-regarded, red-haired Rew, Tom, coming through the ranks at Somerset, too.
Rew is not the only young English keeper-bat who has enjoyed a sparkling start to the season. After his move from Kent, Durham’s Ollie Robinson, 24, is averaging 45, striking at 83, and keeping beautifully. Lancashire’s Bell is 20, and full of promise, while Jordan Cox has the gloves for Kent. Cox is having a quiet campaign, but is an England prospect in all three formats and soaked up 130 balls to help save the game at Canterbury at the weekend.
While he is not keeping regularly due to the presence of Ben Foakes, Jamie Smith, 22, is perhaps the best batsman of the lot, and looks a key player in the Surrey line-up for the first time. At Edgbaston a fortnight ago, Gareth Batty labelled his 88 the best he had seen Smith bat; then at Chelmsford, his unbeaten 39 from 126 balls helped keep Surrey’s unbeaten record; and at the Oval, he fizzed through a delightful 97 to beat Middlesex.
Smith was the star of the Lions this winter, smashing a swift century against Sri Lanka A, and might just be the next uncapped batsman to get a chance. There are senior figures in the England set-up who think he could thrive as a Test batsman at No4, or as a wicketkeeper lower down at No6 or No7. The potential is abundant.
England have a golden generation of keepers, now in their thirties. Jonny Bairstow, Jos Buttler, and Foakes have shared the role around since Matt Prior retired a decade ago, and still have some road to run. But Bairstow has thrived as a batsman, and Foakes’s back is starting to give him more grief than the average 30-year-old might expect. A couple of years down the line, England will look elsewhere.
Strangely, there is little to be found between the ages of 25 and 30. There are the likes of Ollie Pope and Ben Duckett, batsmen who have kept growing up. James Bracey is 26 now and has not looked the same consistent player since a harrowing Test experience against New Zealand two years ago.
So England may well skip straight to the next generation. If they do, Smith, Rew and the rest surely mean they are in safe hands.