As Thomas Rew reached the edge of the field he was greeted by elder brother James with the pair sharing the warmest of embraces, an open show of affection, Rew says, that are saved for “special occasions”. 8 August 2025 more than ticked that box.
Rew had bathed in the Somerset sunshine that Friday and the generous applause of a Taunton crowd treated to their first proper glimpse of a precocious talent. They had heard the whispers since his early teens: Rew was a first XI, if not international, banker and the 17-year-old’s unbeaten 84 from 81 balls had just steered his side to a white-ball victory over Durham. “It was a special feeling to walk off that pitch with the whole County Ground behind us,” Rew recalls.
Rew’s runs that day that were impressive, but more eye-catching was his handling of a potentially tricky chase. He manipulated both field and ball, looking every inch a batter who had been there a thousand times before and barely failed. The latest of cuts fizzed past point, while checked drives looked effortless. If a gap was plugged, Rew unearthed another. A former England international among the opposition said afterwards that Rew was the best junior he had ever laid eyes on.
For Rew’s parents it was an afternoon that was both proud and practical. Mum, Debbie, and Dad, Chris, have barely missed a run of either brother’s careers. While previously that has largely involved split travel, now both are Somerset first-team cricketers, that has changed.
The younger Rew’s maiden first-team involvement came in May, just after he had signed a short-term Somerset contract. James was in England’s men’s Test squad, and Thomas provided wicketkeeping cover. Ultimately, James missed out on Ben Stokes’ XI so took his Somerset spot at Chester-le-Street. But after he was rapped on the finger batting, Thomas grabbed the gloves for Durham’s second innings. He wore James’s baggy white shirt.
“I was pretty nervous walking out there with the boys,” Rew says a touch shyly. His words are doubtless true but, given his on-field composure, they are difficult to believe. “After I’d taken a couple of catches those nerves eased a little. Being sat there in the changing room in whites after a win and singing Blackbird was special.
“It took me a few days to learn the words,” he responds through laughter when asked about the Wurzels classic that Somerset have adopted as a victory chant. “But I’ve sung it enough now – I’m pretty used to it.”
Rew is referencing the seven renditions needed as Somerset reached the One-Day Cup semi-final against Worcestershire on Sunday. Alas, there was no number eight.
Under James’s captaincy, Thomas was ever-present, making 308 runs at 44, and the tournament provided a rare extended spell of the pair sharing a field. A four-year age gap meant they played just a few times together at King’s College, while both being available for club cricket is as common as a dry English April. Their Taunton St Andrews teammates know them as the GOAT and Baby GOAT respectively.
Thomas does, though, have happy memories of following James as a child. “We’d travel around watching him for Somerset under-10s and under-11s,” he says. “I loved going to those games and Dad would throw some balls at me in the nets.” Who was he in his mind’s eye? “I always enjoyed watching AB de Villiers. The way he bats is astonishing. I tried to copy him, and dad would try and get to get me to sweep like he used to. Jos Buttler is a huge one too as he came through Somerset’s academy and went to King’s.”
Rew will return to school to sit A-levels in geography, economics and maths. “It is tough at times,” he admits. “Especially when people around you are going off to play golf and padel! But it’s just one more year of hard work and then I can focus on cricket.”
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Last winter he missed a chunk of schooling to tour South Africa with England’s under-19s and will do likewise early next year at a World Cup in Zimbabwe and Namibia. “I’ll keep in contact with the teachers,” he promises. At a World Cup? Of course you will. Rew chuckles.
Having captained the squad against India this summer (in the ODI series only Vaibhav Suryavanshi, the 14-year-old with an IPL century, outscored him), he will probably lead his country at that tournament. “I’ve enjoyed every single minute of it,” he says of captaincy. “It’s tough at times when keeping and having to run back and forth to the bowler. But there are enough people on the pitch to help you out if you’re ever struggling.”
A query as to how he found surrendering both the gloves and leadership to James at Somerset earns another grin. “It’s felt weird being down at third and taking a back seat. But I’m always still thinking about how to impact the game.” Rew admits he offered James the odd post-match pointer, “but we try and leave the cricket chat to the pitch and just talk about other sports at home. We’re still massively competitive in everything we do.” The pair contest at padel, squash and golf.
“There’s been a few strops on the golf course,” Rew says. “Good matches, but I’m definitely more liable [to throw a tantrum] … it’s happened on a few different courts. I think that’s just my competitive nature. I want to beat him at everything, which sometimes isn’t the case.”
This summer Rew has made centuries for a counties select XI and for England Under-19s, debuted in both domestic white-ball competitions, and signed a Somerset contract that runs until 2027. A County Championship bow in September feels plausible and then, who knows.
