Sydney, July 12 - Australian all-rounder Marcus North was so nervous in the moments before his first Ashes century that he could barely breathe.

The left-hander brought up his first Ashes century in a strange fashion when he dived through the crease, even though he appeared in no danger of being run out.

North, who smashed 125 not out on the Cardiff pitch in the first Test England Saturday, revealed that he was almost derailed by suffocating nerves.

'Leading into that I could hardly breathe I was that nervous,' North was quoted as saying in the Daily Telegraph Sunday.

'I guess the emotion was kind of taking over a little bit and once I hit that ball through gully, I saw there was an opportunity for two.

'Looking back on it now, I don't know why I put the big dive in. I wasn't really looking at the ball. It was probably more panic than anything else and relief to finally get there.

'It is something that I will remember forever.'