Bairstow ton shatters WI’s Cup dream
MANCHESTER: Jonny Bair stows aid he was delighted to have joined an “elusive club” after finally scoring his maiden one-day international hundred as England beat West Indies by seven wickets at Old Trafford.
Bairstow finished on exactly 100 not out, getting to three figures six years after playing a winning hand on debut against India in Cardiff.
That Tuesday’ s match was just B airs to w’ s 28 th O DI is a reflection both of the difficulty he has had in establishing himself in the whiteball set-up and England’ s uncertainty over how to best deploy the man now firmly established as their Test wicket-keeper in the 50-over game.
But having brought in Bairstow as an opener in place of the struggling Jason Roy for their previous ODI, an eight- wicket Champions Trophy defeat by Pakistan in Cardiff in June, a match where the Yorkshireman’s 43 was a rare highlight for the hosts, they retained him as a specialist batsman at the top of the order on Tuesday, as J os Butt le ra gain kept wicket.
The selectors’ decision was rewarded by an expertly-paced innings from Bairstow, who ensured England made light work of chasing down West Indies’ below-par total of 204 for nine in a match reduced to 42 overs per side by a wet outfield.
“I’m really pleased,” said Bairstow, who put on 125 for the second wicket with Yorkshire colleague and England Test captain Joe Root (54).
“It seems a longtime ago since I made my debut at Cardiff,” added the 27-year-old son of the late former Yorkshire and England wicket-keeper David B air stow. Just over a month ago, Bairstow was dismissed for 99 during a Test against South Africa at Old Trafford. When he slipped going for a third run that saw him completed his 97-ball century on Tuesday there were, just briefly, fears he might once more be denied an international three-figure score at the Manchester ground.
England white-ball captain Eo in Morgan praised B airs to w’ s determination after being on the fringes of the ODI side for so long.
“Being there at the end really e pi to mises how hungry hei sand how much he wants to be part of the playing XI,” said Morgan. Brief scores: West Indies 204/9 in 42 overs (Jason Holder 41 not out; Ben Stokes 3/43) lost to England 210/3 in 30.5 overs (Jonny Bairstow 100 not out, Joe Root 54; Kesrick Williams 2/50) by seven wickets.