Overton twins ready to make England history against New Zealand

There was no Ben Stokes at England training on Tuesday, an undisclosed illness forcing the captain to stay away, and for the remainder of the players who began tuning up for the third Test against New Zealand it was a case of seeing double.

Never before have England fielded twin brothers in the same XI but new ground could be broken here this week, with the uncapped and pacy Jamie Overton having joined his brother, Craig, in the squad for the series finale starting on Thursday and the possibility that the incumbent seam attack could be freshened up.

There is a fifth Test against India to come next week, rearranged after the Covid postponement last summer, and with this a chance to claim a 2-2 draw. England lead this Black Caps series 2-0 with one to play, offering scope to give at least one of Jimmy Anderson, Stuart Broad and Matt Potts a rest if required.

How this pans out may yet hinge on the fitness of Stokes and a Headingley pitch which looked white and ripe for batting two days out. But jostling for position is something the Overton twins know only too well, having risen up the ranks of North Devon Cricket Club and Somerset together before Jamie opted to move to Surrey two years ago.

“It’s been like that since we were 16 years old,” said Craig, who claimed six wickets against India at this ground last summer in what was arguably his best performance in an England shirt. “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 [about Jamie’s call-up] that whatever happens, we’ll be supportive. We’ve always been like that. We want what’s best for the team and if that means one of us misses out that’s the way