It was an extraordinary innings by the 19-year-old who strolled to the crease with Somerset in more than a spot of bother on 41-4. He left with 221, his fifth hundred in the County Championship this season and his sixth over the course of his young career so far. His latest century drew him level with Dan Lawrence for the all-time County Championship record for the most hundreds in the competition.

Rew, 19, eventually fell for 221, the third-highest County Championship score by a teenager after Dom Sibley’s 242 against Yorkshire in 2013 and Aneurin Donald’s 234 against Derbyshire in 2016.

Rew is enjoying a remarkable season. The wicketkeeper-batter is the leading run-scorer in Division One and has five centuries to his name from nine games. Sam Hain and Tom Westley are the only other two batters in Division One with more than two hundreds in 2023, both have three.

The Somerset youngster has long been a player earmarked as a player of considerable potential. In 2021, when aged just 17, he was named in a County Select XI to take on the touring India side. In that game, he claimed a high profile first-class stumping, that of Cheteshwar Pujara. Last year, Rew lit up the 2022 U19 World Cup final, hitting 95 from No. 4 to rescue England from 61-6 to post a total that took them within four wickets of lifting the trophy.

TWO HUNDRED FOR JAMES REW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥#SOMvHAM#WeAreSomerset pic.twitter.com/HlohEmbgMn

— Somerset Cricket 🏏 (@SomersetCCC) July 11, 2023

Later in 2022, he scored his maiden first-class hundred against an Essex attack containing the likes of Jamie Porter and Simon Harmer. His fine 2022 was rewarded with a maiden England Lions call-up for the tour of Sri Lanka in early 2023. Weeks after his 19th birthday, Rew played three List A games against Sri Lanka ‘A’.

With five County Championship hundreds to his name already in 2023 and with five more rounds to play, he is on track to put together a season of significance irrespective of his age.