Pace proves useful as Yorkshire bring Bairstow back to the fray

The Australian, who is making his Championship debut, bowls 90mph and swings the ball, qualities that troubled a Northamptonshire side after they elected to bat on a sun-kissed morning.

But while some believe Bairstow has an issue with the short ball, something that has yet to manifest itself to this observer, Starc proved the time-honoured truth that no batsman, however talented, is ever entirely comfortable against speed.

Wickets with his fifth and 13th deliveries in Championship cricket helped reduce Northamptonshire to 45-5 after they won the toss before the visitors recovered to 253, Yorkshire replying with 27-0.

All eyes, inevitably, were focused on Bairstow after England gave him permission to play after he had batted for only one hour during the previous fortnight.

It is far too early for people to be writing him off or contending that he cannot deal with short-pitched bowling, but it was in the guise of wicketkeeper that he initially returned to action for Yorkshire yesterday.

The young man’s presence seemed to have a reassuring and revitalising effect as Yorkshire made a dynamic start that utterly belied the batsman-friendly surface.

Steve Patterson struck the first blow, celebrating the award of his county cap before play by having Stephen Peters well-caught low at third slip by Phil Jaques to leave Northamptonshire 11-1 in the sixth over.

The visitors slipped to 20-2 in Patterson’s fifth over, the tenth of the innings, when he had former Yorkshire all-rounder James Middlebrook lbw for nine.

It was high-quality stuff from Patterson, who more than justified captain Andrew Gale’s decision to hand him the new-ball along with Ryan Sidebottom and ahead of Starc.

After Sidebottom conceded only five runs from as many overs in his opening spell from the Rugby Stand end, Starc entered the fray to rock Northamptonshire further back on their heels.

His first wicket would have done for many a batsman – Alex Wakely beaten for pace by a delivery that cannoned into his stumps as he tried to turn to leg.

Rob White struck the Australian for three leg-side fours in an over as Starc momentarily lost his bearings, but he soon cleaned up his man when White was lbw to leave Northamptonshire 39-4.

The visitors flirted with disarray when they slipped to 45-5 as Sidebottom had Kyle Coezter caught by Bairstow for a duck, but Andrew Hall and David Murphy at least ensured no further incursions before lunch, which was taken on a precarious 62-5.

The afternoon, cloudy and humid, belonged to the visitors as they set about doing what they should have done during the first session: namely, getting into line and playing each delivery on its merits, albeit against some very good bowling during that opening session.

Hall and Murphy extended their sixth-wicket stand in sensible style, picking off the bad balls and defending the good ones.

Murphy had a moment of fortune on 25 when he was dropped by Adam Lyth, diving to his left, at first slip off Starc, which would have left Northamptonshire 94-6 and given Starc a deserved third victim.

But it was a gritty fightback by the Northamptonshire duo, who were finally separated with the score on 121 when Sidebottom returned to have Murphy caught behind for 40.

Hall and Con de Lange lifted the visitors into tea on 155-6 before Hall had a let-off moments after the restart, Anthony McGrath dropping him at mid-wicket on 45 off the bowling of Patterson.

But after Hall went to his fifty by top-edging Patterson not far from the reach of Gale at mid-on, McGrath atoned by having de Lange lbw as the visitors fell to 163-7.

Further resistance arrived in the form of No 9 David Willey, who helped Hall add 69 priceless runs.

Willey had a let-off on 33 when an edge off Sidebottom flew between second and third slips before both he and Hall fell with the total on 232 to the second new ball.

Hall was first to depart, bowled by Patterson for 79, made from 179 balls with 10 fours, before Sidebottom had Willey lbw for 39.

Patterson’s day came to an unhappy end when he was forced to limp off after bowling the penultimate ball of his 19th over.

The pace bowler pulled up with cramp, leaving Starc to complete the over from the Kirkstall Lane end.

The last pair of Oli Stone, making his first-class debut, and Lee Daggett added 21 before Stone was bowled by Azeem Rafiq, who returned to the team at the expense of Adil Rashid.

Yorkshire could be satisfied with their efforts overall; Northamptonshire content with a spirited recovery.

Yorkshire had five overs to negotiate before the close of play, Lyth and Joe Root doing so without any cause for alarm to reduce the deficit to 226.

Lyth struck three crisp boundaries to finish unbeaten on 14 – the platform, he will hope, towards converting a promising start into a prodigious score.