Rory Burns says first Test hundred for England was ‘awesome’

Rory Burns told Sky Sports it was “awesome” to score his maiden Test century on a slow pitch and help put England in command against Australia in the Ashes opener.

Burns batted throughout day two at Edgbaston and ended unbeaten on 125 from 282 balls as the hosts reached 267-4 to trail by just 17.

The Surrey captain was twice dismissed for six against Ireland at Lord’s last week and admitted he had made some technical tweaks between games.

“It was quite an enjoyable experience that – different from the Ireland Test!” said opener Burns, who completed his ton from 223 balls in his eighth Test since replacing the now-retired Sir Alastair Cook.

“It was awesome. Hopefully I am not done yet. I struggled at Lord’s and I’ve tried to find a rhythm where I’m more balanced and central, not falling over as much.

“It’s quite hard to put into words, to be an Ashes cricketer in the first place is a wonderful thing. We connected with some past players, some of the 2005 winners the night before and I was literally ready to run through a brick wall at that stage and get right in amongst it.

“The night before I probably played my first ball a few times and probably celebrated a hundred a few times. To get over the line is a wonderful feeling. Hopefully I’ve still got a few more left in me and hopefully we’ve still got a few more left in us.”

After managing to score just six runs in both innings against Ireland at Lord’s, Burns explained a return to a former coach to talk through his technique helped him return to basics ahead of his first taste of Ashes cricket.

“I literally buried my head in the sand to all sorts, comments, media,” he added. “I just tried to get myself around people that back me – team-mates, coaches – I tried to back my own skills and obviously it’s another opportunity to nail down a spot.

“I went to someone (coach Neil Stewart) who’s known me since the age of six, he’s been coaching me. I just tried to get a bat in hand as much as I could over the last four or five days in between this [and the Ireland Test]. Just replicating what I was doing and staying true to what’s gotten me to where I’ve got to.”

And, although it took the Surrey opener 10 balls to move from 99 on to three figures Burns said he kept a level to move to the magical milestone.

“My general thought when I was on 99 and Nathan Lyon started bowling quite handy stuff was trying to talk myself out of sweeping him,” he said. “It’s a shot of mine and, one away, you get caught up in that.

“But then I was just trying to stay level and almost wait for the ball that was in my area just to tickle somewhere.

“I missed out on one from [Peter] Siddle the over before so when I nudged into that gap I backed my sprint speed to get over the line.”

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(c) Sky News 2019: Rory Burns says first Test hundred for England was ‘awesome’