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Marcus Trescothick wants to put the controversy of his early return from the tour of India behind him after marking his comeback to international cricket with a century on the first day of the first Test against Sri Lanka at Lord’s here on Thursday.

The left-handed opener’s 106 was the centrepiece of England’s total of 318 for three at stumps. Having missed the 1-1 drawn Test campaign in India for what the England management said at the time were ‘personal’ and ‘family’ reasons, Trescothick found himself the subject of unwelcome attention when he gave a television interview stating that a virus had forced him to come home.

But the Somerset star, the only player aged over 30 in a youthful England line-up, ensured attention returned to his cricket with a 14th Test hundred, his third against Sri Lanka and second at Lord’s.

“I’m delighted. It was time to move on and get things rolling again, get back into the England shirt,” Trescothick, now in his 70th Test, said. “I’m playing the same way I’ve played all my career. I love my cricket. I had been pretty nervous, the nerves of expectation. But there was a bigger release last week when I made a hundred (for Somerset) against Northamptonshire,” he added.

After over four hours at the crease, Trescothick eventually fell to off-spin star Muttiah Muralitharan, who finished with two for 69.

“He’s a great bowler. The wicket didn’t offer too much assistance to him but he’s still a real handful,” said Trescothick.

The England stalwart was well-supported by Alastair Cook in a second-wicket stand of 127 with the 21-year-old Essex left-hander, who’d made a century on Test debut against India at Nagpur in March, scoring 89 in his first Test innings on home soil.

Source:The News