Jamie Overton’s form this season has been nothing short of magnificent. His 21 wickets at an average of 21.61 – not to mention 212 runs at 53 – have helped Surrey to the summit of the LV= Insurance County Championship, and now England have come calling. We pick out five unforgettable moments from his superb first-class season so far.
#1 THE STATEMENT FIVE-FOR
Surrey v Hampshire
April 14-16, The Kia Oval
Overton made his mark in his very first outing of the season. In just 12 overs against a quality Hampshire side he claimed 5-54 in the first innings and then a further three victims in the second as Surrey ran out winners by an innings against one of their rivals for the title. On a pitch with pace and carry he was a constant threat, picking up a number of wickets with short balls and inducing the Hampshire batter Joe Weatherley to glove both his dismissals to catchers behind the wicket. According to new speed-gun data deployed by the ECB, during the match Overton was clocked as hitting 90mph.
It was yet another superb grab from Ben Foakes that saw the back of Joe Weatherley this afternoon
— Surrey Cricket (@surreycricket) April 16, 2022
#2 THE ‘RENSHAW BALL’
Surrey v Somerset
April 23, The Kia Oval
One of the deliveries of the summer, a booming inducker to the Aussie left-hander Matt Renshaw from over the wicket that angles away to the slips before swerving back on line to clatter into the Test opener’s off stump. It comes in the midst of a tense period of play with the game in the balance and opens up Somerset’s middle-order for others, notably Reece Topley, to plough through and set up the win.
— Surrey Cricket (@surreycricket) April 23, 2022
#3 GOOD PLAYERS ON FLAT DECKS
Kent v Surrey
May 14, Beckenham
After Surrey had amassed an enormous 671/9dec on a very good batting track, the quicks got to work, sharing the wickets around to upend the home side for just 230. Overton took three of them in 9.5 overs, including players of the calibre of Daniel Bell-Drummond and Darren Stevens. Weather intervened in the match and it was drawn, but Overton had further demonstrated his capacity to change the complexion of a game by injecting serious pace on unresponsive surfaces.
#4 PACE LIKE FIRE
Somerset v Surrey
June 12, Taunton
After losing the toss on a placid surface that would last the full 12 sessions, Surrey needed some inspiration in the heat of the first afternoon and they found it, as so often this term, from Overton, who removed the former Surrey man Steven Davies with a brute of a short ball that reared up and took the splice of the bat. It was Overton’s second of the day, and he would claim a third soon after, nicking off Lewis Gregory with a peach of a ball that jagged off the seam to find the edge. It was an immensely hostile spell that also resulted in two Somerset batters – including his twin brother Craig – retiring out of the game with concussion. Somerset were bundled out on day one, and Surrey would go on to record their second three-wicket win over his boyhood club, with Overton not out at the end.
Jamie Overton has been on fire all season 🔥
Here, from the recent win against Somerset, are two reasons why England want him in the Test squad…
Exhibit A: pace and aggression 🚀 pic.twitter.com/Crmd3zaS61
— Surrey Cricket (@surreycricket) June 16, 2022
#5 RUNS KEEP FLOWING
Kent v Surrey
May 13, Beckenham
In Overton’s five matches to date in 2022, he’s plundered 212 runs at 53 with two fifties. He’s also launched eight sixes, an indication of his ball-striking prowess which has seen him promoted up the order in certain Vitality Blast T20 matches. The 28-year-old has one first-class hundred to his name and against Kent in May he got within two blows of registering another, taking just over two hours to smash 93 (92 balls, 10×4, 3×6) – his second-highest first-class score. (Our favourite shot, though, has to be the cheeky edge off the very first ball in professional cricket he’d ever faced from his brother, Craig, in the game against Somerset in April…)
Here’s what happened when Overton (C) bowled his first ball to twin brother Overton (J)… 🎥👀 pic.twitter.com/1Gjnbohyfr
— Surrey Cricket (@surreycricket) April 23, 2022
