'Turtle' Renshaw turns into a hare

A modest Matthew Renshaw has downplayed his whirlwind century against a potent Yorkshire bowling attack, claiming it was "just my lucky day".

In reality, it shows the maturing approach of the Australia Test opener, as he detailed summing up conditions and picking the right game plan to prosper, even if to the outside observer it seemed totally out of character.

Renshaw hit his second century of the County Championship on Saturday, from just 86 balls as he reached the milestone before lunch against perennial Division One powerhouses, Yorkshire.

The Queenslander earned the nickname 'Turtle' after joining the Australia Test team in November 2016. The truth was teammates noticed a zany personality would go into his shell around senior players in the dressing rooms. But it soon gained another meaning with his slow, cautious scoring rate.

A new moniker may be in order now, after Renshaw smashed a six to get off the mark, another to reach his half-century, and again to take him to three figures.

"I never really go out there thinking I'm going to try and, not slog, but play lots of shots," the 22-year-old Renshaw said after play.

"It just felt right on that wicket.

"It was a pretty different innings to my normal game but having assessed the wicket this morning, I didn't feel comfortable just fending at it. I was better if I was playing full cricket shots.

"They were bowling really well and I felt that if I fended one and nicked off, it would really annoy me.

"I tried to take the game on and put pressure on their bowlers – who are coming off a really good win last week – and tried to come out on top. I guess it was just my lucky day."

It was his second successive century for Somerset following a debut hundred last week against Worcestershire. He became only the third Somerset player to hit tons in his first two matches for the county, after former Australia captain Ricky Ponting and Alviro Petersen.

Renshaw's first 52 runs all came from boundaries, with 10 fours and two sixes, which equalled the second-highest score containing only boundaries in first-class cricket.

Thilina Kandamby also hit 52 from 10 fours and two sixes for the Sri Lankans against Zimbabwe A at Harare in 2004. The highest first-class score in boundaries only is the 12 fours and 11 sixes Mark Pettini hit to make 114 for Essex against some generous declaration bowling by Leicestershire in 2006.

Renshaw's plundering of Yorkshire is a big step removed from the international arena, but to put the knock into some context, only five men have scored a hundred before lunch in the first session of a Test match.

The most recent of them was Renshaw's former Test opening partner David Warner, against Pakistan at the SCG in 2017, a match in which Renshaw also scored a century.

What made Renshaw's innings all the more remarkable was it came on a day when 20 wickets fell, and the Australian was back at the crease at stumps, four not out from six balls in the second dig.

"The wicket is quite interesting. The odd ball starts swinging and it's nipping about a little bit, which is quite different to what I am used to," Renshaw said.

"It will be a good challenge for me to try and bat a bit tomorrow and try to put more pressure on their bowlers.

"We talked about summing up conditions and trying to work out the wicket. That (blazing away and scoring quickly) was the way to go today. It's probably not the way to go in the second innings.

"It's about trying to adapt. Last week in the second innings I probably got carried away and tried to go the same way, so I need to assess tomorrow morning and have another look and see what the best way to go is.

"This has been a good start for me but there is a lot of cricket to go this season. Hopefully I can carry on like this."

In first-class cricket this calendar year, taking in the Queensland Bulls' run to the JLT Sheffield Shield crown, his parachuting into the Johannesburg Test match, and early season Somerset knocks, Renshaw now has 871 runs at 63.64, at a strike rate of 70.49.

The Turtle and the hare: Renshaw's first-class 100s by balls

Dec 2015: 249 balls to reach 100 (finished with 170 off 395 v NSW)

Feb 16: 200 balls (146 off 244 v SA)

Nov 16: 192 balls (108 off 202 v SA)

Jan 17: 201 balls (184 off 293 v Pak)

Feb 18: 149 balls (170 off 218 v Vic)

Feb 18: 130 balls (112 off 148 v SA)

Mar 18: 153 balls (143* off 196 v WA)

Apr 18: 137 balls (101* off 139 v Worc)

Apr 18: 86 balls (112 off 99 v Yorks)