NZ vs ENG | Enjoyed century, but disappointed I couldn’t go on, says Rory Burns
Centurion Rory Burns has admitted that he was left with a 'bittersweet' feeling at the end of the third day’s play of the second Test against New Zealand in Hamilton. Burns, who hit only his second Test century, put together a 177-run stand along with skipper Joe Root before running himself out.
Having lifted England from a precarious position at 24 for two to 201 for two, both Burns and Root looked set to go deep and help their team to a potentially match-winning position. But with Burns’ run-out, the Kiwis sniffed an inch and broke through the middle order. England lost three wickets for 61 runs in the latter stages of the day to finish at 269 for five, still 106 behind the hosts’ first-innings total.Â
"It's been a positive day but it could have been a better day. Bittersweet is probably the overriding feeling. I enjoyed the fact I made a century, but at the same time, I'm disappointed that I couldn't stretch it. I didn't really feel there was a second there. But I came back for it anyway and the result was the result. It's disappointing. It was my call at the end of the day," Burns said, reported ESPNCricinfo.
"There are fine margins in Tests. Could me and Rooty have stretched our partnership to get us deeper into the game? We're still in a very good position but we've probably made it slightly more difficult for ourselves. These are the things to iron out if you want to become a really good side," he said.
Though the end was disappointing, Burns can be proud of his efforts on day three, surviving two chances early on before battling it out against Neil Wagner’s short-ball attack.Â
"Initially I felt pretty comfortable riding Wagner's short balls and he bowled a couple of good ones. But I thought 'I'm actually seeing them quite nicely' and I've been working on the pull for a while, so I thought I'd get it out and put it to work. I felt pretty comfortable with that and thought I played it quite nicely,” he said.
"I just tried to apply myself for as long as I could. It came to a slightly disappointing end but I thought I played quite well. It was nice to take the opportunity on a flatter surface, but I would have liked it to be bigger," Burns added.
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