Jamie Overton joins his brother in England twin attack

Jamie joins twin Craig in squad for ODI series

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As part of their bold new policy, England’s selectors have decided that they needed twins to counter the menace of New Zealand in the one-day series.

Jamie Overton, the 21-year-old Somerset fast bowler, was called up to join his county colleague and brother, Craig, in the squad for the fourth and fifth one-day internationals.

He replaced Liam Plunkett, who has a thigh strain while Craig had already been summoned as a replacement for Chris Jordan. If both play in the fourth of the five-match, thrill-a-minute series at Trent Bridge, it will be only the second time they have been in the same team for a one-day match.

Although both twins have been on the selectors’ radar, their development has been hampered by injury and the inconsistent form of young players. Jamie was called up by England in 2013 for a one-day squad but then suffered a severe case of patellar tendinitis. Craig was on the England Lions tour of South Africa last winter until a calf injury forced him to abandon it.

Both have played encouragingly for a struggling Somerset this summer. Jamie is a genuinely fast bowler, Craig an all-rounder with sound methods in both disciplines.

Jamie said: “I’ve worked quite hard on trying to get a bit more imposing when I’m bowling. Last year I was trying too hard. I’m a complete rhythm bowler, when I’m bowling effortlessly that’s when I bowl quick. So this year I’ve gone back to basics.

They are close but are also rivals. As Craig said: “Most of the time with Somerset it’s seemed like only one of us has been picked, or one or other of us has been injured. But we’ve been playing together since we were about five, so we still know each other’s games.”

Twins have never represented England together but Steve and Mark Waugh were part of one of the great Australia teams and Hamish and Jamie Marshall played together for New Zealand.