Two Rews or not...actually, no, most definitely two Rews
A very public announcement of arrival
As he departed to a reception as deserved as it was rapturous, the first body Thomas Rew encountered was his captain and, more pertinently, his brother. Together they shared an embrace warmer than the beautiful west country day itself, the senior sibling, James, congratulating his junior on a match-winning knock. The first of many.
The ultra-competitive yet uber close pair had hugged earlier too, with the former wrapping a welcoming arm around the latter when he joined him in the middle. At that point, Somerset were 78 for 3 in pursuit of a modest 256 run target. But with neither having scored, victory was far from certain. By the time Thomas wandered off six minutes shy of two hours later, he had an unbeaten 84, Durham’s flame had been extinguished and Somerset had ramped up Metro Bank fever with two wins from two.
And so, we reach the critical question: just how excitable about this young gem should one get? This country’s sporting culture is such that many of us, supporters and media alike, tend to overindulge in getting a tad carried away with a youth prospect. We big ‘em up, lavish them in superlatives, and draw unreasonable comparisons to the great and very good of their chosen sport. In doing so, we inadvertently flip a pressure valve and ensure the pascal dial is strained.
Caution, then, must be exercised. But that is nigh on impossible when the lad, the one who is supposedly the one, is suddenly before you in the flesh for the first time and batting like God him or herself has descended from above, taken human form and, despite the world’s more pressing issues, decided the best use of his time is to dominate the early rounds of the One Day Cup? (See, told you it is easy to get overexcited!).
This is the first time that this online space has written about baby Rew, but it will almost certainly not be the last. Where to start? Well, Rew’s 84 runs were not just any runs. They were M&S runs, those of a better quality than mere mortal runs, the sort of runs you buy only when hosting a dinner party not for the uncle and aunt you don’t have time for, but your new boss or favourite cousin.
If you knew your cricket but didn’t know your cricketers, you would assume the batter plonking Somerset over the line on Friday night had been there a thousand times, done it on 999 of them, and no longer had the wardrobe space for all the Fruit of the Loom gear purchased. Instead, he is a 17-year-old who was playing professional match number **checks stats** six.
As a bowler, what do you do? Actually, scrub that: as a bowler what on earth can you do? Mitchell Killeen dropped barely a fraction short, and, in a flash, he was staring disbelievingly towards the Somerset Standard trying to work out which level of the retirement flats his delivery would ultimately settle on. Then, when Colin Ackermann had started to build a little tension, Rew hot-footed toward him and stroked an inside out six over cover that had those occupying Gimblett’s Hill scrambling under benches.
Amongst eight other boundaries, Rew demonstrated deft dabs, glorious, checked drives, and cuts off Luke Robinson that fizzed over the rope before most watching had worked out which direction the ball had actually flown off in.
It was not just the boundaries, either. It was the touch, the singles, the manipulation of the field. The vibe was ‘I’m in complete control’ here and it oozed off him as naturally as high tide erodes a cliff face. One senior member of the opposition described Rew to Cider Press as the best young player he had seen. Ever.
At Middlesex in midweek, the Rew brothers added 107 for the fourth wicket, James ending up with 106* after Thomas fell for 51 from just 54 balls. Here at Taunton, the pair put on 95, James making 39 before his baby bro added his runs from just 81 deliveries.
It also saves a few miles on the clock and a little petrol money for them! Ordinarily, they split on match days, thus ensuring each brother has the benefit of a watchful, supportive parental eye. The only advice Cider Press can offer is that they really ought to compile a joint playlist. Sharpish.
It was against Durham in the County Championship back in May that both brothers were first involved together at senior level. Thomas had just signed a rookie deal and James was in the Test squad for the summer’s opening game against Zimbabwe. James was ultimately released to play at Chester-Le-Street but, after he took a blow on a digit while batting, Thomas ended up keeping wicket in a baggy shirt of James’. He did so tidily. The pair thoroughly enjoyed their first trip together, rooming in Durham and merrily playing cards and Perudo on the long-journey home. Having his big brother there will have settled nerves, although given his temperament, it would be surprising if there were any actually existed.
The ‘Baby GOAT’ as he has been christened at club side Taunton St. Andrews, has had his name whispered in these parts for a while now. Even as a schoolboy they tipped him for stardom. Strange, isn’t it? Here is a kid unable to have a flutter on the Grand National or buy himself even half a celebratory pint, and yet it was assumed, before he even made his professional bow, that he would have a long and prosperous career. It is easy to see why.
He has spent a decent chunk of his summer skippering England under 19s, on occasion outshining (131 from 89 balls in one match) Vaibhav Suryavanshi, the 14-year-old with an IPL century. He has made a hundred for the PCC Select XI against Zimbabwe under the watchful eyes of Andrew Flintoff and Mark Wood. And now Rew has back-to-back fifties and a List A average for Somerset of a mere 135. These are fruiticious times.