Jamie Overton: Swapping Somerset for Surrey, England ambitions and chasing down twin brother Craig

SAM DALLING: The seamer has taken the plunge by moving to The Kia Oval on a permanent basis. But it is part of a masterplan to break into the Test team and overhaul his sibling

Cricket and horse racing are closer linked than you might initially think.

In 1925, Ted McDonald agreed a hefty contract with Lancashire to help pay-off debts related to gambling on the sport.

Dozens of players past and present own horses, including Stuart Broad, Ravindra Jadeja and Ricky Ponting.

Meanwhile, an Australian group including white-ball captain Aaron Finch and Glenn Maxwell bought a horse to honour the late Phil Hughes. Mark Waugh also has a share.

And former England wicketkeeper Craig Kieswetter even helps his family breed horses in Ireland and South Africa.

Surrey quick Jamie Overton is among the latest players to fall in love with stable life and already has plans to become involved on a permanent basis when his cricket career comes to an end.

"I am actually in Ditcheat at the moment," he explains to The Cricketer.  "I have been helping out at Paul Nicholls’ race yard for the few months. They are amazing animals, and it is really good fun. Although last week I was helping dig up the gallops – that was quite hard work, digging out a load of sand and then chucking it back in."

I wouldn’t say I have always been interested in them.  But over the past five or six years, I have really enjoyed going to the races and have got quite into it. I have got a showjumper and will probably go into the racing industry once I have finished with cricket.  I do not ride – we are not allowed. In our contract, it says we can’t, and I would rather stay on the floor at the moment! I will eventually although I have never done it."

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For the time being, life will be very different for Overton.

Having run down his Somerset deal, the sleepy surrounds of Shepton Mallet have been replaced by the hustle and bustle of Vauxhall tube station, round the corner from The Oval, the home of Surrey.

Swapping Taunton for the capital might seem like an understandable decision but the 26-year-old took plenty of advice before finally committing to the move. Some of England’s most outstanding fast-bowlers of the recent past were among those whose advice he sought.

"It was a seriously tough decision," he admitted. "It was up in the air until a few weeks beforehand – there was a lot of thinking going into it. I spoke to Darren Gough, Andrew Flintoff and Andrew Caddick to get their thoughts. I wanted to ask what they would do in my position. They are were all really good although they all had their different views!

"I did honestly love playing for Somerset and would still love playing for them now. I will always have good memories of my time there but felt I was a little bit down the pecking order at times. It was the right time to try something new. As bad as it sounds every cricketer has a sell-by date. It is a short career, and you have got to try and make the most of it."

Above everything, Overton believes Surrey will offer a route into the Test team.  “There were a couple of clubs interested but personally I think Surrey are the biggest club in England,” he added. “I don’t really know if it is true that you have more chance of being selected to be honest but if you are doing well for a big club people are going to take more notice of it I would say. You are almost in the eyesight a bit more.

"I really desperately want to play for England. That is my ultimate goal. I felt like if it is not going to happen in the next two or three years it is not going to happen at all. I am not saying this is going to work but at least I will know I have tried everything to do what I want to do. If it doesn’t work then I just wasn’t good enough. Deep down I will know I did all I could."

^{Jamie Overton had plenty of success with the bat last season}

A loan spell for the final month of the season ahead of his permanent move to Surrey gave Overton a taster of what is to come. He appeared to settle well, becoming an established member of the Vitality Blast side which went all the way to the final before defeat by Notts Outlaws.

Interestingly, perhaps Overton’s most eye-catching displays last term came with the bat. After making 55 in the Bob Willis Trophy clash with Sussex, a punchy 29 off 12 balls against Middlesex was followed by putting the Hove county to the sword again with an unbeaten 40, in the Blast.

In August, he notched a maiden first-class hundred (120 from just 92 deliveries) for Somerset and has now set his sights more time in the middle.

"I have always seen myself as an all-rounder but never really had the opportunity to do it at Somerset. That is just how it was. But with the move, I felt like I had a chance to do something different, to put myself more in the spotlight. I see myself as coming in at five, six or seven depending on the game situation and influencing the game - whether it is batting out a session in a red-ball game or having to score quick runs to get us over the line in T20.

"At Somerset, there were five or six all-rounders all vying for those spots and you are always going to get people that are unhappy. I wasn’t unhappy but I felt like I could have more influence on the games. The way I have played since moving to Surrey – the runs that I have scored in those games – show that I can actually do it."

Overton has been on the England periphery for what feels like an eternity.

But despite numerous Lions’ outings and being called up by England several times - 2013, 2015 and then again, this year as part of the 30-man training squad - he is yet to make the final leap.

In the past his body has not been kind, forcing him to miss plenty of cricket. It may have taken time for his 6ft 5ins frame to adjust to the rigours of bowling at the top level but the tide appears to be turning.

^{Twins Craig and Jamie are likely to face-off in 2021}

He followed up 10 first-class outings in 2019 – the first time he had reached double figures since 2013 – with an ever-present record in the Bob Willis Trophy for Somerset and Surrey.

"My body is starting to get used to playing those longer formats," he stated. "Most bowlers would say it takes five or six years to develop into your body. Some take longer, others take less time. I would say Craig (Overton) for example probably took a bit less time than I have. 

"But as bowlers you know you are going to get to there – it is just part and parcel of the job. Hopefully, now I will be limited to little injuries rather than big ones. Fingers crossed I am passed the stage of picking up stress fractures now but you never know. These things happen. You just have to try and get on with it really."

There remains plenty of room for improvement, however, if he is to eclipse twin brother Craig. His four Test outings and superior first-class record (322 wickets to 179) means Jamie has work to do.

With Craig having penned fresh terms with Somerset, next season they will face-off against each other for the first time in professional cricket.

"We definitely won’t be taking it easy on each other. If we did we would probably get a b********g from my Dad. He would be like ‘what the hell are you doing?’ Mum might be a bit of a nervous wreck. It will obviously be very strange the first time we do it but I think the more we do play each other it will get easier. We are both professionals and knew it was unlikely we would play together our whole careers."

Next summer Mr and Mrs Overton, Mark and Helen, will have to clock up the miles to follow both their boys at close quarters next season, and beyond. But if the whole family end up in Australia in the 2021-22 winter it will all have been worth it.

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