Chris Rogers was delighted to make his highest Test score on his 'home ground' of Lord's as he and Steve Smith both hit unbeaten centuries to put Australia in total control of the second Ashes Test against England.
Rogers scored 158 with Smith striding off at the close with 129 to his name as Australia reached 337 for one and almost certainly batted England out of the Test in the space of 90 overs.
And Rogers, who has played many times at Lord's for Middlesex, admitted scoring a Test hundred at the home of cricket was special.
"It's going to be one of the proudest moments in my career I think," he told Sky Sports Ashes.
"To score a hundred at MCG then the SCG and then to get one here, it's so special.
"I have a lot of support here, a lot of friends and it just feels amazing to do it."
Smith was also pleased to reach three figures after coming in for criticism from some quarters despite his ranking as the world's number one batsman.
His unorthodox technique has come under scrutiny but he well and truly silenced the doubters on Thursday as he and Rogers put on 259 and counting for the second wicket.
"I was disappointed to miss out last game," he said. "I felt quite good at the crease so I was disappointed with the way I played.
"I haven't done so well here at Lord's in the past so I wanted to make it count today and get myself up on that board and it's really exciting to have done that today."
Smith also admitted it was important to make a statement after the first Test defeat, and added: "It looks a pretty good wicket, well it did this morning when we first got out there, it was a little bit slow and it was one of those wickets where if you got in you needed to go big, that was what we said before the game.
"The way we've batted and put on 250 (as a partnership), good day."
Source: PA
