James Rew (left) and younger brother Thomas have followed almost identical paths in cricket so far. In between studying for his maths, economics and geography A-Levels over the next four months, Thomas Rew is hoping he can use what he learnt from a busy winter to break into Somerset's first team.

The 18-year-old wicketkeeper-batter captained England's Under-19s as they reached a World Cup final in February and also toured Australia with the England Lions ahead of the Ashes series, the latter alongside older brother James Rew. The Rew brothers are among England cricket's brightest young talents and with 21-year-old James - also a wicketkeeper - now established in the Somerset side, Thomas wants to keep following the same path.

"I'd love to be a part of that first team, especially in the four-day stuff," Rew told BBC Radio Somerset. "It's going to be tough with my exams at the start of the year being able to balance all of that. But what I've learnt from the winter I'm looking to take that into the summer - you have to adapt quickly in red ball cricket over here in England, a little bit more than what I'm used to at two's level, but I'd love to be a part of that first team squad."

While Thomas made his T20 and One-Day Cup debuts last season, he has yet to step into Somerset's first-class team. But a busy winter has proved a fruitful training ground. Away with the Lions in Australia alongside James, the right-hand batter scored 55 against England during a warm-up match before the first Ashes Test in Perth and followed it with 47 against a strong Australia A side in Brisbane.

He then made a century while skippering England Under-19's to the World Cup final, hitting 330 runs during the tournament and amassing the highest number of dismissals of any player with 14. With Andrew Flintoff the Lions coach and with Test players to watch and talk to, Thomas said the experience did "a lot" for his confidence.

"To go out to Australia with the Lions and have James there was unbelievable," he said. "To get some experiences playing with the main Test squad was very special, followed by South Africa and the World Cup, it was definitely busy. Learning off some of the best players we came across and rubbed shoulders with did loads for our game, mine in particular definitely improved after that tour and hopefully we can take that into the summer."

The Rew brothers both came through Somerset's academy pathway. The Rew brothers have followed an almost identical trajectory up to now and their paths do not seem to be diverging any time soon. James made his Somerset debut in 2022, a year before younger brother Thomas joined the club's academy.

In 2023, he enjoyed a breakthrough season for the club, scoring more than 1,000 County Championship runs, becoming Somerset's youngest first-class double centurion and ending the campaign as the Professional Cricket Association's men's young player of the year. As Thomas has just done, James also reached the U19 World Cup final with England in 2022 and in May last year he was called up to the England Test squad for the first time but did not play in the game against Zimbabwe.

While with the Lions in November, James scored an unbeaten 92 during the win over a Prime Minister's XI. "It seems to have all happened quite quickly in the last year or so, to be picked on a Lions tour together is really cool," James said. "To be working with Freddie Flintoff, playing against Aussie A and the England Test team was unbelievable."

Somerset begin their County Championship campaign at home to Nottinghamshire on Friday and Thomas said seeing his brother play has only increased his desire to do the same. "Watching James and the team play over the last few years has made me more hungry and to go out there and win competitions," Thomas said.