Tuesday 12 January 2016 11:53, UK
England's Jonny Bairstow says the Cape Town Test with South Africa was an "amazing" and "emotional" experience.
Bairstow scored a brilliant 150 not out in a stunning stand of 399 with Ben Stokes, a record for England's sixth wicket.
All-rounder Stokes pummelled a brutal 258 to take the limelight but the Newlands match was a huge personal milestone for Bairstow, whose first Test century banished the memory of being dismissed for 95 against South Africa at Lord's in 2012.
Bairstow said: "It was an unbelievable knock from Ben and it was a pleasure to be at the other end and be a little part of that partnership.
"It was amazing, my family was there, and to miss out a couple of years ago at Lord's was a bit of a pain in the backside. But to be able to contribute was great - it was an emotional week."
Bairstow says he is hoping his Test career now takes a similar path to his county career.
"When I started my county career, people who saw me all the way through will say 'he didn't get a big one to start off with,'" he said. "It took me a year and a bit - it took me 19 fifties before I got my first hundred. But in the rest of my career to date, my conversion rate has been pleasing.
"I hope that I can now take that on into my Test career."
Bairstow insists that he is not taking his place in the team for granted, but does see his future as a wicketkeeper-batsman.
"I don't think you can say that you've nailed it [a place in the Test team] down," he said. "But I'm pleased with the contributions that I've made.
"In the Pakistan series when I just played as a batsman I made some decent contributions there but didn't go on to make that big one.
"It's still a natural learning curve, you are still bedding into Test cricket as a batsman and as a wicketkeeper.
"I'm pleased with the way that it is going. It is a work in progress. But you are only going to learn by doing. That's the way that I've always done things. When I first kept for Yorkshire it was only in my second first-class game… but it was three years before I kept for a full season.
"I'm pleased with the way I'm catching the ball and I'm now pleased with the way I'm moving.
"I'd like to think [I can continue to be a wicketkeeper-batsman for England]. I've spent a lot of time, a lot of energy, and a lot of pain, in my keeping as well as my batting. I don't see any reason why not. I don't see why I can't go forward for a long career keeping wicket for England but contributing with my batting too."
Meanwhile, batsman Nick Compton missed training on Tuesday because of illness but is not yet a doubt for the third Test which begins on Thursday in Johannesburg.
