Bairstow is freed by England for start of Yorkshire’s campaign

Bairstow has been released to play in all cricket in the build-up to the start of the home Test summer against New Zealand at Lord’s on May 16.

He will feature in the first quarter of the Championship programme as Yorkshire take on Sussex at Headingley Carnegie (April 10-13), Durham at Chester-le-Street (April 24-27), Derbyshire at Headingley (April 29-May 2) and Somerset at Headingley (May 7-10).

The batsman/wicketkeeper can also participate in the Yorkshire Bank 40 overs matches against Glamorgan at Colwyn Bay (May 5) and Somerset at Headingley (May 11).

Root will play in all of those games apart from the Championship opener against Sussex, for which Sussex spinner Monty Panesar has been made available in an attempt to find form amid fitness concerns over England’s first-choice spinner Graeme Swann.

Root’s first appearance for Yorkshire will come just three days after the Sussex game is scheduled to finish when the county take on Lancashire in a three-day “friendly” at Headingley (April 16-18).

Tim Bresnan hopes to start his comeback in that game after he recently underwent an elbow operation.

England have given the following players the chance to play at least two first-class games prior to the first Test: Alastair Cook, Matt Prior, Ian Bell, Jonathan Trott, Stuart Broad, James Anderson and Steven Finn.

Nick Compton and Chris Woakes have been released to play in three first-class games and Graham Onions four.

Others who have played little cricket recently, such as Bairstow, have been made available for all fixtures.

Yorkshire complete their pre-season tour of Barbados with a two-day game against Nottinghamshire at Windward Cricket Club, starting today.

The county drew their latest two-day game against Northamptonshire, Alex Lees (100) and Andrew Gale (65) starring in a total of 266-4 declared before Adil Rashid took 4-82 in Northamptonshire’s reply of 236.