DURHAM youngster Jack Burnham claimed a quick-fire century as England started their Under-19 Cricket World Cup campaign with a record-breaking 299-run over Fiji.

Burnham, a right-handed 19-year-old from Esh Winning, smashed 148 runs from 137 balls as he helped put on 303 with his second-wicket partner Dan Lawrence.

The pair helped England make 371-3 in their opening pool game in Chittagong, before pace bowlers Saqib Mahmood and Sam Curran took three wickets apiece to help skittle Fiji for 72.

Burnham, who made his County Championship debut for Durham last season, hit 19 fours and four sixes as he recorded the third-highest score by an England Under-19s batsman in a one-day game.

Lawrence and Burnham had been two of the four England batsmen dismissed for a duck in the last warm-up game against Bangladesh, so this was the perfect way for both to bounce back.

“I’ve just been saying to the lads that as long as I get past the first over I generally do all right,” said Lawrence. “It’s nice for me and Jack to get a good confidence booster. With the bowling as well, it was a very professional performance.

“Fair play to the Fiji lads, for the first 20 overs it wasn’t easy because there wasn’t much pace in the pitch. Me and Jack didn’t go berserk, we just played really until the last ten.

“I’m really pleased for Jack because he’s a great lad and a top player, and he needed a few runs. The beauty about him is he can play all sorts of situations, whether we lose a wicket early on or hitting a long ball late in the innings. He played beautifully.”

Burnham obliterated his previous best score of 53, and will attempt to build on the performance when England face stiffer tests against the West Indies and Zimbabwe in their remaining group matches.