KEATON Jennings yesterday joined the distinguished company of Dean Jones and Paul Collingwood in becoming only the third player to score two centuries in a match for Durham.
With the Emirates Riverside floodlights shining for the first time in championship cricket, the left-handed opener followed his 116 in the first innings against Somerset by reaching 105 not out.
Jones, the former Australia Test star, scored two hundreds in his farewell Durham appearance against Pakistan at the Chester-le-Street club ground in 1992, and Collingwood did the double against Somerset at Taunton in 2005.
Jennings, who is the son of former South Africa coach Ray Jennings, said: “I spoke to my dad on Facetime this morning and will do it again tomorrow. To see the joy on his face makes me very proud.
“Paul Collingwood took the attack to them towards the end and took the pressure off me. When I reached my hundred he said: 'Well done, not a lot of people have done this.'
“To join such an elite crew of him and Dean Jones is a privilege and I hope I can follow in their footsteps.”
Keaton Jennings of Durham in batting action during Day Two of the Specsavers County Championship match between Durham CCC and Somerset CCC at the Emirates Riverside on Monday
England selector James Whitaker was present, probably more with a view to watching Mark Stoneman than Jennings, who recently qualified to play for England.
“Mark and Scott Borthwick have scored 1,000 runs in the last three seasons without getting much recognition, so it would be naïve of me to think two good days will get me noticed,” said Jennings.
“My mother is from Sunderland and it is an ambition to play for England, but I've still got a lot of hard work to do.
“I've grown up with cricket through my dad and his brother, Ken, who is a sports psychologist and has helped me a lot. I love the way he goes about teaching me about myself.
“He lets me work things out for myself and I've learnt not to get too high when things go well or too low when they don't.”
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