When Somerset’s James Rew began the new season with a century against champions Nottinghamshire at Taunton last week, a tweet suggested that only Don Bradman and Sachin Tendulkar had bettered his 12 first-class hundreds by the age of 22.
The stat proved inaccurate, but the excitement was understandable. With a top-order Test spot up for grabs, Rew’s name keeps cropping up in the conversation – and no matter that he prefers the No 4 slot to the top three.
Then again, England took a punt on his friend and fellow 22-year-old left-hander Jacob Bethell, who had never batted above No 4 for Warwickshire but lit up the closing stages of the Ashes with a superlative 154 at Sydney from No 3.
Asked if he can use Bethell as inspiration, Rew chuckles, and opts for the self-deprecation that England are trying to drum out of him: ‘He’s a bit better than me.’ But the widespread clamour for renewal may yet count in his favour ahead of the first Test against New Zealand in June.
He is used to historic comparisons, as well as the accompanying pressure. When he ticked off his 10th century – a brilliant 116 to break the back of a chase of 321 against Essex at Taunton last May – he became the youngest English player to reach the landmark since Denis Compton in 1939. It was, he says, ‘a nice stat to hear’. But what about a first Test cap?
‘I’d say I have ambitions, but I don’t want to put a timeline on it,’ he tells Daily Mail Sport. ‘If something crops up because of my performances, then that’s a bonus, but I’d rather focus on trying to help Somerset out with as many runs as possible.’
Somerset’s James Rew racked up his 12th first-class century in the opening round of the County Championship, at the age of just 22
Rew has significant experience with the England Lions, as well as playing in the ILT20 in the UAE last winter
Rew (left) with Mark Wood, Ben McKinney and Josh Hull in England Lions training last summer
And if the selectors ask him to open the batting? ‘I mean, if I got picked for England, I’d be absolutely honoured and it would be a privilege. I don’t think I’d argue about where I wanted to bat.’
Rew’s other potential route into the Test side is as wicketkeeper, although Jamie Smith’s century in Surrey’s first game, against Warwickshire at Edgbaston, may have closed that door for now.
But he has already had a taste of the big time, performing 12th man duties on the second (and final) day of the Ashes opener at Perth in November, and it whet his appetite.
‘It was an unbelievable experience,’ he says. ‘I was gutted about the result, but it was nice to be in the changing room, and the atmosphere and the crowd were ridiculous. The way Travis Head played was really good to watch. It’s a shame it happened against England, but I feel like I learned a fair bit from that day.
‘Hopefully, if I find myself in that position in the future, I’ll remember what that situation feels like, and it might not get on top of me. But I felt the nerves of people having to go out and bat: it was a pretty terrifying atmosphere.’
Rew was in the country with England Lions, and credits their coach, Andrew Flintoff, with helping him improve his game against the short ball on Australia’s bouncier pitches – as well as talking to him about the mental side of the game.
‘When we played Australia A, they had pretty much a Test attack,’ he says. ‘It was about getting used to the bouncing ball, which you’re likely to be exposed to more in Test cricket more, and it’s something for me to keep working on.
‘I enjoyed working with Freddie, and I’ve done quite a lot with him over the last three or four years. We work on trying to get me ready for playing high levels of cricket, and he wants to expose me to playing in different conditions and against better attacks.
Rew’s younger brother Thomas (left) is also in the Somerset and England Lions setup
‘One of his strong points is how he looks at the game and how positive he is as a coach – how he was as a player, and how he can pass that down. It’s something I’ve taken from him, the mentality side and how aggressive we can be to look to take down opposition.’
At a time when England hierarchy have come under fire for their man-management from the likes of Jonny Bairstow, Liam Livingstone and David Willey, Rew has only positive things to say about the Lions set-up.
‘Normally, it feels like you don’t see a Lions coach until the trip in the winter and then you just leave them for a whole year, whereas now it feels like there’s more of a team,’ he says. ‘We’re in constant contact with the coaches throughout the year.’
Now he just needs to hear from Brendon McCullum.
