THERE were tears of joy and pride in Esh Winning yesterday as 19-year-old Jack Burnham scored a magnificent 135 for Durham at the Oval.

His Auntie Wendy tweeted as much, adding that she was in the tearful company of Jack's mother, Sharon, and his grandmother back in the former pit village west of Durham City.

“I phoned my mum afterwards and it was great to hear how proud she was,” said Durham's latest hero. “My dad was always working away so she gave up her job and made a lot of sacrifices for me, always taking me to cricket. She said today had made it all worthwhile.

“My first game for Durham was in an under nines match against Cumbria. I was seven and I scored 22.

“It has always been my dream to score hundreds for Durham and to do it on my first visit to the Oval is very special. It's an unbelievable ground.

“I'm quite relaxed now around the lads in the dressing room and it has given me a lot more confidence.”

Burnham surprised a lot of onlookers by driving left-arm spinner Zafar Ansari for two sixes in his first 20 runs.

“He's a clever bowler and I just wanted to get into his head as quickly as I could,” he said. “Then when Gareth Batty came on this morning I knew if I let him keep bowling the same ball at me I wouldn't score, so I lifted him over the top in his first over.

“I got a bit nervous in the 90s, but I always backed myself. Getting to a hundred was a big moment and I hope I can score a lot more centuries for Durham.”

The other newcomer in the Durham team, Brydon Carse, said: "Jack and I have become very close over the last couple of years. We'll have a quiet celebratory drink tonight."