JACK Taylor described hitting his maiden first-class century for Gloucestershire as an “amazing feeling”.

The former Oxfordshire all-rounder hammered 120 off 139 balls to help Gloucestershire to 329 all out against Derbyshire in their LV= County Championship Division 2 clash in Derby on Monday.

The 23-year-old, who played club cricket for his home village side Great & Little Tew, was thrilled to reach the landmark, especially as his parents, Kevin and Angeline, were at the County Ground.

“It was good – an amazing feeling,” he said. “My parents were there as well, which was quite nice.

“I didn’t think too much when I got to the nineties and carried on hitting the ball.”

Taylor’s terrific ton saw him continue a brilliant run of form after he had hit four centuries for Gloucestershire 2nds this season.

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“I am watching the ball and have a plan and waiting on the bad ball and putting that away,” he said.

Taylor’s triumph came two years after he was banned by the England and Wales Cricket Board for an illegal bowling action, before being passed to play again in February 2014.

Reflecting on that setback, he said: “Obviously that is all in the past now and I am concentrating on playing good cricket.

“As a group we want to win some games for Gloucestershire.

“Hopefully we will get up the championship table and get in the semi-finals of the Twenty20 and do well in the 50-overs competition.”

Taylor came into the side for the game – which ended in a rain-affected draw – while his brother, Matt, who also plays for Gloucestershire, missed out.

“He was in the initial squad,” said Jack. “It was just down to the balance of the team.

“They wanted to play a spinner and add a bit more depth to the batting.”

With bad weather affecting the game, the sides contrived a victory target of 302 for Derbyshire, who hung on for a draw at 189-8, with Taylor taking 2-19 off 16 accurate overs of off spin.