[Watch] Jonny Bairstow hits his 31st first-class century in County Championship weeks after England's all-format snub
England wicketkeeper-batter Jonny Bairstow slammed his 31st first-class century on Day 1 while playing for Yorkshire against Middlesex at Leeds in County Championship Division Two on Thursday, August 29. The right-handed batter scored an unbeaten 107 off 130 balls with the help of two sixes and 10 boundaries. This was Bairstow's first century in first-class cricket since 2022.
During his knock, Bairstow shared a 57-run partnership with skipper Jonathan Tattersall and an unbeaten 130-run stand with George Hill.
Bairstow’s century came weeks after being omitted from England's squad for the ongoing three-match Test series against Sri Lanka at home. He was also axed for the recently concluded Test series against West Indies.
Notably, he managed just 238 runs in five Tests at an average of 23.80 without a single half-century in India earlier this year. Jamie Smith is currently playing as the first-choice wicketkeeper for England.
Apart from Tests, Bairstow has also been omitted for the upcoming limited-overs series against Australia. He played his last ODI in November 2023 and his last T20I was semifinal at the 2024 T20 World Cup.
Sharing the video of Bairstow’s celebrations on X, County Championship’s official handle wrote:
“A hundred for Jonny Bairstow! And boy, did he enjoy it.”
Watch the clip below:
The Yorkshire batter had earlier scored 57 in the first innings against Sussex before departing for a duck in his previous County game.
"We just want him back to being one of the best players in the world” – Luke Wright on Jonny Bairstow
England's chief selector, Luke Wright, recently backed Jonny Bairstow to deliver in domestic cricket to make his comeback to the national side. He said (via BBC):
"One of Jonny's great strengths is how much he wants to play. He's hugely disappointed. We just want him back to being one of the best players in the world. He had that horrific injury, and that’s been the message. Can we get you back to where you were pre-injury?"
"He understands that. He doesn’t like it. One thing Jonny will do is fight back, and I hope he does and gets himself back in the team," he added.
Bairstow has 6042 runs in 100 Tests for England at an average of 36.39, comprising 12 tons and 26 half-centuries.