Emotional Bairstow laughs off ‘head-butt’ century celebration
“Ultimately if it is something you want to do, then you make time for things. If it was a burden, you wouldn’t do it.”
Such is her commitment to learning, she recently turned up at a GAA coaching day hosted by St Columban’s School in Kilkeel where she kept her eyes peeled on the pitch-based classes ran by Tyrone strength and conditioning coach Peter Donnelly to pick up any nuggets of information.
“Most people who play sport at a high level have a certain level of obsession with it, you have to,” she reasons.
“I saw the advertisement and they had an interesting line-up. I wanted to see the people involved as they were well-renowned in coaching, just to pick up tips.”
The main motivation was to see how what was being taught could be applied to her own teams across two sports.
“You do have a curiosity. Obviously female sport is improving all the time. Those coaches are at the top level of men’s football. It would be interesting to see Peter Donnelly, what methods he is using with the men. It’s all about acquiring experience,” she says.
“You don’t have the same level of exposure as the men’s coaching so it was just to see what way they were teaching, what the techniques were and was it that different from what we do.”
Her life is dictated by the rhythms of training and matches, raising funds and awareness.
She pays tribute to the Carrickdale Hotel in Ravensdale, who have sponsored the Armagh ladies for coming up to 15 years now. However, she bemoans the need to fund the associated mammoth costs of the Northern Ireland team going to Australia for the Commonwealth Games.
While she is in Australia though, she might just check out the growing women’s Australian Football Rules, which has become professionalised in the last decade, with Mayo and Carnacon legend Cora Staunton recently recruited by Greater Western Sydney Giants.
O’Hanlon would be another marquee signing. She leaves the door open for a season or two down under.
“You never say never. If a good opportunity arose, a good proposal, then you would consider it,” she states.
“I’m very busy with work and netball and football is my focus at the minute.
“I don’t know, I have no desire at this minute in time, but I suppose never say never.” JONNY Bairstow’s first Ashes hundred has instantly become his new personal favourite.
It is 18 months since the England wicketkeeper last reached three figures in Tests — he fell an agonising single run short against South Africa at Old Trafford last summer — and, in doing so on the biggest stage of all, he allowed a “whole heap of emotions” to come out.
After the fist-pumping and jumping for joy at the WACA, he threw in a “light-hearted” and spontaneous ‘head-butt’ of the helmet he had just taken off — revisiting the unusual greeting he imparted to Australia opener Cameron Bancroft at the start of the tour.
That bar-room prank ended up causing an unwitting Bairstow plenty of consternation, of course — but, as he added his century to Dawid Malan’s on a fluctuating second day of the third Test, he demonstrated it has not cost him his sense of humour.
England went on to lose their last six wickets for 35 to finish 403 all out and then could not stop Steve Smith (92 not out) leading his team to 203 for three at stumps.
Bairstow (119) nonetheless had much reason for personal satisfaction after he and Malan (140) pushed their double-century fifth-wicket stand into Ashes record territory.
“This hundred in many ways was my favourite, because obviously I’ve played in a few Ashes so far now,” the Yorkshireman said.
“To score an Ashes hundred is something you dream about as a kid, and it’s eluded me until now.”
It was only when he got caught up in the celebration that he instinctively bumped his forehead on his helmet.
“That was a bit of light-heart- ed fun, wasn’t it, with everything that’s gone on,” he added.
“I’d not thought about (doing it). It was a whole heap of emotions, and that’s exactly what Ashes cricket, what Test cricket, is about.
“You want to be able to look back in the archives when you’ve retired, and say to your kids, your grandkids, ‘I made an Ashes hundred at the WACA’. It meant a huge amount.
“We talk about a badge of honour, when you’re out there in the dirt on a flat one... but this was a badge of honour for Mala and me.”
What followed after a highly encouraging first hour was disappointing for England
“At the same time, we were 130 for four — so you could say it was a fantastic recovery from there to get 400 on the board,” Bairstow said.
“Or you can look at it and say, ‘Yes, we’ve let the position slip’.”
He remains optimistic, however, on a quick pitch which has already shown signs of deterioration.
“I walked out to bat (yesterday morning) and the crack on the crease was a good half an inch wider than when we went to bed (on Thursday night).
“So you don’t know what you might see when you walk out there.”
Usman Khawaja, whose battling half-century contributed to a stand of 124 with Smith, congratulated the home attack on their persistence as Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood shared seven wickets.
“We knew if we got a break, the new batsman was going to find it tough,” he said.
“To restrict England to 400 was a really good effort,” added Khawaja.
England will reassess seamer Craig Overton’s fitness after he jarred his rib diving for a caughtand-bowled chance.
Fast bowler Mark Wood has been seconded from the Lions squad here to travel with the Test players to Melbourne and Sydney, where the fourth and fifth Test matches will take place over Christmas and new year.
❝ I enjoy going to watch sport, different sports and you meet lots of people from all walks of life and different perspectives