Jonny Bairstow scored his first first-class century in a little over two years as Yorkshire had much the better of the opening day of their County Championship promotion battle with Middlesex at Headingley.Bairstow, 34, has struggled for form of late and, within the last two months, has been dropped from all England sides. But he refuses to be written off, as this excellent 107 not out off 130 balls suggests.He underpinned Yorkshire’s 372 for 5 from 96 overs and was supported by half-centuries for Adam Lyth and George Hill. Luke Hollman returned 3 for 99 from 27 overs of legspin.Yorkshire started this game in third place in Division Two, three points behind Middlesex in second. Having won the reverse fixture at Lord’s in April, Middlesex knew that completing the double would give them a stranglehold on the race for a return to the top flight. But they have significant work to do.Bairstow is at his most dangerous when he has a point to prove, and was challenged to regain his best form earlier this week by England selector Luke Wright, after he was left out of ODI and T20I squads to face Australia. This was his first first-class hundred since his twin tons against India at Edgbaston in 2022, and his first for Yorkshire since May 2016.
Yorkshire started nicely, with first-class debutant Noah Cornwell, Middlesex’s England Under-19s left-arm seamer, and Toby Roland-Jones put under early pressure.Lyth and Fin Bean shared 68 inside 16 overs and found the boundary regularly. Bean hit two off Roland-Jones in the first over after the hosts had elected to bat on a hybrid pitch with two frontline spinners in their side.By the time Lyth reached his fifty off 56 balls, Bean had been removed for 27, bowled by Henry Brookes having dragged on attempting to pull. And when Lyth was lbw for 61 playing back to Hollman’s legspin, Yorkshire were 105 for 2 after 26 overs.By now, it was clear this pitch was a good one despite being used during the Hundred. After lunch, Luxton swept Hollman and James Wharton pulled the same bowler for sixes over midwicket. But Middlesex, now bowling with the older Kookaburra ball, were tighter than they had been early on.And that brought reward, as Hollman – bowling from the Howard Stand End – prised out James Wharton and Will Luxton as the pair failed to make the most of starts.Related
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Wharton fell caught at slip for 40 trying to cut a ball too close to him before Luxton pulled to short midwicket as two wickets fell inside six overs, leaving Yorkshire 185 for four in the 52nd over. They had shared 67 for the third wicket.Yorkshire’s third half-century partnership came via Bairstow and captain Jonny Tattersall through to tea, where the score was 240 for 4. Bairstow was proactive rather than destructive – less than half of his runs came in boundaries – though he nailed a pull shot off Brookes for six over to the Western Terrace side of this ground.But the stand was broken at 57 in the opening over of the evening when Tattersall top-edged a sweep against Leus du Plooy’s left-arm spin and was caught for 26 by slip running around behind the wicketkeeper.Bairstow went on to reach his fifty off 63 balls and shared in Yorkshire’s fourth half-century partnership of the innings, this time with sixth-wicket partner Hill. Hill got in on the six-hitting act by lofting du Plooy down the ground, but Bairstow was starting to show signs of his belligerent best.He fiercely cut Hollman for four in front of square and drilled him over mid-off’s head for another boundary in the same over, the 74th, as the score moved to 283 for 5.Like Bairstow, who pulled Roland-Jones for his second six, Hill – 58 not out – has had his recent troubles with the bat. But he looked in excellent order as they shared an unbroken 130. He reached his fifty off 77 balls late in the day before Bairstow reached three figures off 122 and bowed to the home dressing room in celebration.
