Nottinghamshire v Yorkshire CCC - Jonny Bairstow proves his class again

JONNY BAIRSTOW probably needs hundreds to convince the England selectors that he deserves a Test recall but the value of his 75 to Yorkshire yesterday was worth its weight in gold.
Yorkshire's Jonny Bairstow (left) looks on as Nottinghamshire's Haseeb Hameed attempts to catch the ball (Picture: PA)Yorkshire's Jonny Bairstow (left) looks on as Nottinghamshire's Haseeb Hameed attempts to catch the ball (Picture: PA)
Yorkshire's Jonny Bairstow (left) looks on as Nottinghamshire's Haseeb Hameed attempts to catch the ball (Picture: PA)

Bairstow top-scored on a fascinating third day of the Bob Willis Trophy game against Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge, helping the visitors to turn a 91-run deficit on first innings into a lead of 168 as they closed on 259-7 in their second innings.

In his first appearance for Yorkshire in just over two years, and after he was dismissed for five in the first innings, Bairstow showed all his skill and experience against good bowling in challenging conditions, with the ball moving around through the humid air and turning off the well-worn pitch.

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It was not one of his barnstorming efforts when everything is in his favour and the ball comes off the middle of the bat for a pastime, but it was somehow all the more commendable for that – Bairstow had to work exceptionally hard, for fluency and for runs, to help drag his side back into the match.

Yorkshire's Harry Brook (left) in action during day three of The Bob Willis Trophy match at Trent Bridge (Pictures: Mike Egerton/PA Wire)Yorkshire's Harry Brook (left) in action during day three of The Bob Willis Trophy match at Trent Bridge (Pictures: Mike Egerton/PA Wire)
Yorkshire's Harry Brook (left) in action during day three of The Bob Willis Trophy match at Trent Bridge (Pictures: Mike Egerton/PA Wire)

“He played really nicely,” said Andrew Gale, the Yorkshire first team coach. “He looked a class apart on a tough pitch, and it’s been great to have him back in the dressing room.

“At the start of the day, I asked for fight, character, resilience and patience from the lads, and I think we saw that. If we can get a few more runs in the morning, and then nip out a couple of early wickets, Notts could easily panic and fold.”

When Bairstow last played for Yorkshire – against Lancashire at Old Trafford in 2018 – he was the third wicket in what was popularly described as the greatest hat-trick of all time, considering that Jordan Clark had dismissed Joe Root and Kane Williamson with the previous two balls.

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He arrived at the crease here in the day’s second over after Yorkshire lost Tom Kohler-Cadmore for a golden duck to the seventh delivery of their second innings, the batsman defending Zak Chappell to second slip.

Yorkshire's Jonathan Tattersall (left) plays a shot against Notts (Picture: PA)Yorkshire's Jonathan Tattersall (left) plays a shot against Notts (Picture: PA)
Yorkshire's Jonathan Tattersall (left) plays a shot against Notts (Picture: PA)

Bairstow got off the mark from his fifth ball when Chappell banged one in short from the Pavilion End and Bairstow pulled it to the Fox Road boundary across a sun-licked outfield.

He followed that with a crunching on-driven boundary off the same bowler, who nevertheless tested him several times, not least when cutting the ball back between his bat and pad.

Chappell was a handful but Nottinghamshire lost Jake Ball, his opening partner, to what looked like a side injury after only three overs from the Radcliffe Road end. It was a blow to the hosts, particularly when they struggled to polish off Yorkshire late in the day, but there was enough threat posed by Ball’s team-mates to mitigate the setback, Peter Trego keeping things tight and spinners Matt Carter and Samit Patel posing problems.

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Bairstow needed an ally when the going was tough and he found him in Adam Lyth, who reined himself in to play the game situation. The trademark cover-drives were infrequently unleashed, Lyth content to work the ball around and wait for obvious scoring opportunities with Yorkshire still then a long way adrift.

Somehow, by hook or by crook, the second-wicket pair gritted it out until lunch, which Yorkshire took at 82-1. They had extended their stand to 131 when Lyth, moments after reaching his half-century, was caught at slip as he tried to drive Patel’s left-arm spin through the leg-side. It was the first of three wickets for one run in 18 balls as the hot afternoon suddenly exploded into life.

Bairstow was next to go, turning Carter’s off-spin to short-leg, where he was superbly caught by Haseeb Hameed, who flung himself to his right to take the ball one-handed.

Bairstow had faced 140 balls and hit 14 of them to the boundary. He would doubtless have appreciated Hameed’s athleticism.

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When Dawid Malan was also caught by Hameed at short-leg off Carter, this time in much less spectacular manner, Yorkshire were 136-4, just 45 ahead.

They were grateful for a fifth-wicket stand of 50 between Harry Brook and Jonny Tattersall, which ended when Brook – who has looked in prime touch since county cricket resumed – was caught off the second ball after tea when edging Patel to second slip.

Still Yorkshire’s resilience was by no means ended.

Jordan Thompson, hero of the first innings when he came within two of a maiden century, proved a thorn in Nottinghamshire’s side once more, helping Tattersall add 54 for the sixth-wicket in 30 overs.

Thompson struck 33 before falling to the second new ball, driving to second slip off Chappell, who three balls later had Steve Patterson caught behind.

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Tattersall grafted for a fine unbeaten 41 from 155 deliveries, leaving the game finely poised.

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