Yorkshire v Kent: Bairstow's century target after carrying fight to Kent

In three of Yorkshire's six Championship wins, Bairstow has helped them over the line.

He hit 81 at Warwickshire in the first match of the season, 63 not out against the same opponents at Headingley, and 64 not out in the triumph at Nottinghamshire that has raised Yorkshire's hopes of taking the title.

Yesterday, as Yorkshire made 205-7 on a rain-hit opening day against Kent, Bairstow made another potentially vital contribution.

His unbeaten 62, after Yorkshire slipped to 93-5 after being put into bat, lifted his team to a total that was perhaps better than it looked on a green-coloured pitch.

Displaying tenacity beyond his 20 years, along with an instinctive capacity to deliver when it matters, Bairstow coped well against the swinging ball to register the highest score of the innings.

If he can go on to achieve a maiden hundred (the 20-year-old has scored 14 half-centuries in his 28 first-class games), it will be no more than he deserves for his efforts this summer, which have played a significant part in Yorkshire's success.

"I'm still looking for that first hundred and, hopefully, it's just around the corner," said Bairstow, whose highest first-class score is 84 not out.

"I just need to keep batting and working hard and I'm sure that the rest will take care of itself.

"The important thing is that we give ourselves a chance of winning this game, build on the start that we've made and then bowl them out.

"We're desperate to finish the season on a high and we know that we've still got everything to play for."

Although Yorkshire face a fight to reach 300 against a side who need to win to avoid relegation, yesterday went reasonably well from their perspective.

Martyn Moxon, their director of professional cricket, felt Yorkshire lost two more wickets than ideally they would have liked, but they were assisted by a lack of activity elsewhere.

Leaders Nottinghamshire managed only one over on day one against Lancashire at soggy Old Trafford, while second-placed Somerset saw Durham reach 132-2 in the 40 overs possible at Chester-le-Street.

With each of the top three desperate for a victory, Yorkshire can be relatively pleased with the overall picture.

Not for the first time this summer, Moxon paid tribute to the belligerent Bairstow, who batted with customary fearlessness.

There were 10 boundaries in his polished display, including a crisp pull for four off Matt Coles that brought up his half-century from 81 balls.

"He's probably at his best when we need him and that's a great sign for such a young player," said Moxon. "Over the season, everyone's played their part, but Jonny, in particular, has really stood out when we've needed him most.

"He's got the ability to attack but not be reckless, and he times the ball as well as anyone I've seen.

"He has the talent to choose the right balls to score off and the pressure doesn't faze him; it would be fitting if he ended the season with a hundred."

Moxon admitted Yorkshire were perhaps suffering a hangover from their Clydesdale Bank 40 semi-final defeat against Warwickshire on Saturday when they reported for duty.

"It wasn't the same chirpy dressing room that it normally is, but we'd got our heads around it all by the start of play," he insisted.

Adam Lyth and Jacques Rudolph appeared to prove that point as they rattled along at four runs an over before Lyth was caught at first slip with the total on 30.

One run later, Anthony McGrath aimed a loose off-drive at Coles and was caught at second slip before Rudolph and Andrew Gale stabilised the innings.

Yorkshire's one-day openers added 50 in 17 overs before Gale departed on the stroke of lunch, lbw to Dewald Nel following an entertaining 39, as Kent emerged with three wickets from a morning in which they generally failed to exploit the conditions.

But they found a better line straight after the break, Nel bowling Rudolph and Coles inducing Gerard Brophy to play-on as Yorkshire suffered a wobble.

Bairstow took the attack to the opposition, crashing three fours in an over off Nel and maintaining his focus despite three weather interruptions. Adil Rashid and Ajmal Shahzad supported him with useful 20s before both were snared by the nagging Nel, who claimed 4-47.

DISPLAY OF THE DAY

Jonathan Bairstow

Made 62 not out from 97 balls with 10 fours to keep Yorkshire's Championship dream alive.

TITLE LATEST...

YORKSHIRE (199 points) were the only title-chasing side to claim a point on the opening day of the last round of County Championship matches.

They collected one batting point for reaching 200 against Kent, but bad weather prevented Nottinghamshire (205) and Somerset (203) from adding to their totals.