Jamie Overton ready to finally put daylight between himself and brother Craig

GEORGE DOBELL: With the England management understood to be considering resting players ahead of the Test against India and James Anderson might be struggling, there is the possibility of the home team fielding the twins at Headingley

If they are as competitive with their opponents as they are with each other, England could be on to something with the Overtons.

No male twins have played Test cricket for England. And while one pair of female twins - Jill and Jane Powell – has done so, they didn’t play in the same match.

Jamie and Craig Overton could, though. With the England management understood to be considering resting players ahead of the Test against India – there are a minimum of three days between these Tests, England already have an unassailable lead in this series and James Anderson, in particular, looks as if he may be carrying a sore ankle – there is a possible opening. As things stand, it seems Jamie is the more likely of the brothers to play.

There's a lot to like about Jamie Overton. He is quick – every bit of 10 per cent quicker than his brother and perhaps the quickest fit bowler available to England right now – he has a natural outswinger and he is a good enough batter to have played for Surrey, in T20 at least, as a specialist. He is not as reliable as his brother with the ball but, as we saw in the Caribbean sometimes you need more than reliability. 

And then there's that competitive edge. Rarely has that been so apparent as when the two brothers came face to face when Somerset and Surrey met in the LV= Insurance County Championship just over a week ago. With just his second ball at his brother, Jamie struck Craig with a bouncer than left him lying flat on his back for several minutes and then obliged to retire hurt. 

While Craig did resume his innings shortly afterwards – but only after Jamie had made another batter, Josh Davey, retire hurt with a blow on the head – he was shown no sympathy whatsoever: Jamie greeted him with another bouncer which both brothers rated the quickest of the lot. Craig went on to top-score in the Somerset innings with 29 before failing a concussion test and missing the next week of cricket.

^{The Overtons at Somerset (David Rogers/Getty Images)}

It is, perhaps, for such reasons that the pair were separated from bowling at each other in the nets at Taunton.

"I have not faced him that much," Craig says now. "We were always told to avoid each other in the nets because nets could get a bit spicy as we tried to outdo each other. We would never bat against each other. That was probably a wise decision.

"So that game against Surrey was the first time I had faced him in a proper game. I knew a bumper was coming at some point. It was good fun. I enjoyed the challenge. It is not often you face bowlers at 90mph."

Even then, however, Craig cannot resist the put-down. 

"It did me for a lack of pace," he says. "I was through the pull shot too early."

It's said with a big smile, though, and it's clear the pair have great pride and affection in one another. And while Craig has tended to be the first to achieve things – he's three minutes older, after all, and was the first to play first-class and international cricket – Jamie might well have the higher ceiling.

He owes his elevation now, in part, to the intervention of Azhar Mahmood. Surrey's new bowling coach, the former Pakistan all-rounder, suggested Jamie shorten his run-up. As a result, he is arriving at the crease well-balanced and seeming to accelerate into the explosion that is his action. He's taken 21 wickets at 21 apiece in the Championship season so far. Craig later admits: "It was quick. I've not seen anyone quicker this summer."

"We've been competing for a spot since we were 16 years old. My first game of first-class cricket we were competing for the same spot and I ended up playing and Jamie missed out. We both said to each other before we found out 'whatever happens, we'll be supportive' and we've always been like that. We want what's best for the team."

Jamie's highlights reel is a thing of great beauty. It is full of players being beaten by sharp bouncers and late-swing. It makes him look like a world-beater. What highlights reels don't show, though, are the poor balls. And there's no way around it, Jamie is not as consistent as Craig.

There have been days, not so long ago, when he couldn't make his county side. He took six Championship wickets in the 2021 season. They cost 75.66 each. Even at the start of this season, 21-year-old James Taylor kept him out of the side. 

So his selection is a bit of a punt. And a punt that owes something to the injuries to Mark Wood and Olly Stone and Jofra Archer. But he does offer this England team something they don't have at present and he may well play. 

Craig's best hope of playing might have been if England opted to go into the game without a spinner. But the Leeds surface looks dry and yellow and you would think both sides would be inclined to include their spin options. Suggestions that Matt Potts could be rested with a view to Edgbaston appeared to be scotched by his performance in the nets. He bowled very impressively.

The brothers have matched each other stride for stride during their careers (Getty Images)

All of which means there's a decent chance Craig could be a spectator in the coming days. But as both brothers admit, the competition to outdo the other has pushed them throughout their lives. It continues to do so.  

"We've been competing for a spot since we were 16 years old," Craig says. "My first game of first-class cricket we were competing for the same spot and I ended up playing and Jamie missed out. We both said to each other before we found out 'whatever happens, we'll be supportive' and we've always been like that. We want what's best for the team."

Jamie agrees. "Throughout our junior career it was always a case of one of us going one step ahead of the other and I remember Craig playing for the West of England before me and then I got in the squad after that.

"Then I got through to the England Under-19s before Craig but he got into the main squad before me. So it’s always worked that one has been ahead of the other and then the other's caught up. It sounds horrible but if this means I catch up and go one step ahead of him that would be amazing."

It promises to be a pretty flat surface at Leeds. All three Championship matches at the ground have been drawn this season and there's little reason to believe much will be easier for seamers here. But if England are to win in Pakistan, if they're to put together a side that can challenge in India and Australia, too, you would think they need some pace in their attack. This could be a huge opportunity for Jamie Overton.

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