Somerset wicketkeeper-batter James Rew has the potential to open the batting for England, according to his county head coach Jason Kerr, who believes the 22-year-old's recent performances make him a strong candidate for international selection.
With England's Test team expected to undergo changes following their 4-1 Ashes defeat in Australia, several batting positions—including the opening slots—are up for grabs. Established openers Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett struggled during the series, prompting managing director Rob Key to indicate that England will reassess their selection approach.
Rew has emerged as a standout performer this season, amassing 320 runs in the County Championship—second only to Surrey's Jamie Smith, who has 396. His impressive form includes a century and two half-centuries, with an average of 80. In Somerset's season-opener against Nottinghamshire, he scored 64 and 122, showcasing his consistency and skill.
While Rew has primarily batted at number four for Somerset, Kerr sees potential for him to move up the order. After watching Rew score 86 in the first innings against Hampshire, Kerr remarked, "[Opening for Somerset] is in my head, but we have to do what is right for the team. What I don't want to do is compromise his opportunity of playing for England."
Kerr emphasized Rew's ability to adapt and perform under pressure, stating, "He's got to score a volume of runs, and that is what he is doing. The thing to recognise is the way he is doing it. Could he do that at the top of the order for England? Absolutely."
Rew's cricketing pedigree includes representing England Under-19s in the 2022 World Cup final and making his England Lions debut the following year. Last year, he became the youngest Englishman to score 10 first-class hundreds at just 21 years and 114 days, earning a senior call-up for the Test against Zimbabwe—though he did not play.
Kerr believes Rew's talent and work ethic make him a natural fit for international cricket. "He is a good enough player to play international cricket," Kerr said. "He has scored a lot of runs over a lot of years. Anyone who knows anything about cricket will look at the way he goes about his cricket and the way he scores those runs and who he scores them against, and on all surfaces."
With England's middle-order currently well-stocked, Kerr sees opening as a viable path for Rew to break into the national team. "If he opens the batting then great, I appreciate the middle-order is quite stocked at international level, but a player of that talent should be knocking on the door," he added.
Rew's recent contributions extend beyond the County Championship, having helped Somerset win the T20 Blast in 2025. As England looks to rebuild and strengthen its batting lineup, Rew's name is increasingly mentioned as a potential solution at the top of the order.