Younger brother Sam is following in the footsteps of the NSW opener and making his mark with Wests/UC in the Cricket ACT first-grade competition.

The 20-year-old smashed his maiden century with a knock of 155 in a one-day match against Eastlake in October.

Ryan, 23, began his red-hot form a month later, an innings of 94 for a Cricket Australia Invitational XI against England followed by back-to-back tons for the Blues in the Sheffield Shield.

His sudden rise with NSW has come after receiving limited opportunities with Victoria in the previous three seasons and rising through the ranks with ACT junior representative teams.

''It makes me a very proud brother,'' Sam said.

''Following the live scores during the day, watching the live stream and knowing there's heaps of other people in Canberra doing the same. Then getting all these messages on my phone when he does get to his hundred, I'm so happy.''

The similarities between Sam and Ryan extend beyond their surname. Both were at the top of their respective classes at Radford College.

Ryan graduated with a University Admission Index score of 99.95 - the equal second best for the ACT in his year.

Three years later, Sam was not far behind with a UAI of 99.

Sam has returned to the game after taking time off last year to travel overseas.

A stint working at a US summer camp was followed by three months backpacking through Europe.

Now studying a bachelor of actuarial studies and finance at ANU, Sam is enjoying getting back among the runs after sharing countless games against Ryan at the family home.

Along with the standard pitch in the backyard, other methods were used to keep the brothers entertained.

''We played a lot of pool cricket, which is a game we invented by the side of the pool at our house on the concrete next to the pool,'' Sam said.

''It was a combination of hitting it outside the pool and in the pool and you have to dive in.

''We also played another game we created which was called mini-cricket, which we played inside in the back room of our house with one of those mini cricket bats and a tennis ball.''

■ Douglas Cup round five: Eastlake 167 v Wests/UC 3-153 at Kingston Oval; Tuggeranong 77 and 0-12 v ANU 9-108 dec at ANU North; Ginninderra 6-470 v Weston Creek Molonglo at Kippax; North Canberra Gungahlin 8-321 dec v Queanbeyan 2-8 at Harrison.