FORMER England opener Marcus Trescothick insists Rory Burns is comparable to the greats he has played with this year and is adamant he will kick on from the experiences.
With still six LV= County Championship games still to go this season, Burns currently sits on equal the number of first-class appearances and innings for Surrey as last term, ten and 17.
He may be down in terms of runs – 741 playing 664 – but outshone Graeme Smith early in the season before the South Africa Test skipper's tenure at the Oval was ended due to injury.
Burns also more than stood up when former Australia captain Ricky Ponting arrived at Surrey while he will soon join forces with another Proteas in Hashim Amla in the longest form.
Amla is currently the world's best Test batsman and Trescothick, still playing at Somerset, expects the imprint left on Burns by such international players to be apparent as he matures.
"Rory got a century against us [Somerset] this year at the Oval. He is a guy who has got a great temperament," said Trescothick, who scored nearly 6,000 runs in 76 Tests for England.
"He is very dogged with a similar sort of technique to someone like Graeme Smith. It is a very unique sort of technique but he makes it work.
"He is very strong in the mind with the way he plays. You do set slightly different fields for him, and more of a leg-side field, because he is very strong through the leg side.
"He is a good talent. If you can come in and maintain it when you've got the likes of Graeme Smith and Ricky Ponting in your team you will do well to continue it on."
Burns' talents don't lie with the bat, he is also a capable wicketkeeper, although he wasn't called upon as Surrey defeated Hampshire but then lost to Northamptonshire at T20 finals day.
And 2005 Ashes winner Trescothick admits he will be keeping a close eye on Burns, up for the LV= County Championship Breakthrough Player Award, and his progression.
"He is a keeper as well so they've got about four keepers, I think, up at Surrey, but he looks like a good proposition," he added.
"For a number of years they have kept producing these good players. He is another one who has come through the academy and we will see how he develops over the next few seasons."
Marcus Trescothick was speaking on behalf of County Championship title sponsors LV=.
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