SOMERSET brothers James and Thomas Rew have been named in the 18-player England Lions squad for this winter’s tour of Australia.

James, who is 21 and Thomas 17, are both batter/wicket-keepers and play their club cricket for Taunton St Andrews. The pair have developed through the Somerset Pathway before graduating from the Academy.

Thomas is in his final year at King’s College, Taunton, and made his T20 and Metro Bank One Day Cup debut in 2025, while James made his first class debut for the Cidermen in 2022 and topped 1000 runs in both 2023 and 2025.

The squad will assemble in Australia in early November ahead of matches in Perth, Canberra and Brisbane.

Lions head coach Andrew Flintoff said: “There are some unbelievably talented players in this squad, and this is a fantastic opportunity for them to go to Australia, excel in the conditions, and thrive against quality players. At the same time, these players will get a sense of what an away Ashes series is all about.

“Our coaching staff is looking forward to working with them to embrace that opportunity and help to build the experiences and skills that will benefit their careers.”

The England Lions will stage development camps in October at the ECB Performance Centre (Loughborough University) before touring Australia. After arriving in Perth, the Lions will play England Men in a three-day warm-up at Lilac Hill from 13 November and ahead of the first men’s Ashes Test at Optus Stadium.

The Lions will play a four-day match against a Cricket Australia XI at Lilac Hill before an England XI takes on a Prime Minister’s XI in a two-day day-night match in Canberra.The Lions conclude their tour with a four-day match against Australia A in Brisbane, at the same time as the second men’s Ashes Test.