"I've done exactly what I wanted to do, my goal is to help Durham get big scores"-Emilo Gay speaks exclusively to The Chester

954 runs at an average of 45.4 marks a good return for a top-order batter in this country and he's certainly made a name for himself, with England Lions recognition coming his way.

However, much to the frustration to supporters, when Gay wasn't getting tons, he was getting low scores.

Three 150-plus knocks were joined by eight single-figure scores, which included five ducks. When speaking to The Chester about his season that has been marred by mixed performances, he admitted that while often struggling for starts, he was pleased to get a hundred on four of the five occasions when he passed fifty.

"To be honest, I've always said as a criticism of myself that the best players convert, you know, 50s and make big 100s. That's the most important thing, nobody remembers 30s and 40s.

"The last couple of years, I think I've got two County Championship hundreds in each season and got quite a few 50s.

"This year I've done the opposite, so in a way, look, I would've liked a few more 30s and starts to have a platform to build on, but I've done exactly what I've wanted to do, my goal is to help Durham get big scores. As an opener or as a top three batter, if I'm in and I get to 50, I think can I convert to a big hundred. I've done that with four 100s and a 99, so in my head that's almost five hundreds in Division One. I can't be too displeased with that.

"When I've got in I've been really ruthless, so it's maybe trying to find that balance, if I can get a few more starts then I could get even more hundreds."

Gay's century making record speaks for itself, no batter in Division One got more than his tally of four hundreds, a record that he shares with six players.

Despite Durham's woeful home form this term, winning just one of seven County Championship games, Gay enjoyed his home comforts, with three of his four tons coming at DH3 and he admits that he enjoys batting at the Banks Homes Riverside.

"I am enjoying it here, last year I got a 50 on home debut and for Northants in the Blast, I got a 50 here as well. I quite like batting here, it's a ground I seem to score runs on. This hundred here (163 vs Worcestershire) was really important, it's probably one of my most important ones, but I actually think my 99 against Surrey was my best knock of the year."