STEVE Seymour started trudging back to the pavilion when his pull shot looped into a fielder’s hands on Saturday... but he had not heard the umpire call ‘no-ball’.

The Australian star, playing his first game for March for three years, was on 10 when he got his reprieve. Within two hours he was celebrating his century.

“I think I was the only one in the ground who didn’t hear the umpire’s call,” he said.

“I got that bit of luck and I made the most of it.”

Seymour, who starred as March’s overseas player in the 2008/09 seasons, is back in England for a holiday.

He toasted his return to Tucker Gardner Premier Division cricket by crashing 101 off 94 balls on Saturday.

His knock inspired March’s vital 63-run over Saffron Walden II - and he even took a wicket for good measure.

“They’re a great bunch of guys at March,” said Seymour. “I wanted to catch up with them but I also wanted to help them out on the field.

“I put a little bit of pressure on myself to get runs, so I was chuffed when it happened.

“March is a club that’s close to my heart. I just want to help them get as many points as possible before I go back.”

Seymour enjoyed the best season of his career in Australia this year, helping his state side Victoria II beat Sri Lanka in January.

The all-rounder took five wickets in the shock win, including the prize scalp of world-class wicket-keeper batsman Kumar Sangakkara.

But tomorrow he will return to The Avenue, to take on more humble opponents from Sawston.

He said: “I’ll be back at The Avenue for the first time in a long while and I can’t wait.

“March’s ground stands up against club grounds all over the world in terms of facilities. It’s a great place to play cricket.

“If it wasn’t such a long way I’d come back every year!”