BAIR WITH A SCORE HEAD

Jonny uses his nut for all the right reasons as he chalks first Ashes ton after moving up order

JONNY BAIRSTOW made headlines for all the right reasons by scoring his first Ashes hundred.

And the cheeky celebration with a mock headbutt of his helmet (right) provided some light relief on what has been a taxing, stressful and emotional tour for the keeper-batsman.

The move up the order from seven to six was an instant success, prompting questions as to why Bairstow was not there from the start and adding fuel to the argument he is currently England’s second best batsman and should even be going in at five. He has the technique and the pedigree to be a frontline batsman for his country, and was picked as such when Jos Buttler was in the side.

But since he took the wicketkeeping gloves he has generally been restricted to batting down the order, especially when Ben Stokes (inset) is available.

Stokes though is not here, and if England leave Perth with a win, or a draw, there has to be a serious case for Bairstow moving up further and ensuring as many runs as possible are scored before the Aussie bowlers start attacking the tail.

“I don’t think it makes too much difference where I bat,” said Bairstow. “Whether it’s six, seven or wherever it is, I don’t think it makes any difference.

“I’m just delighted to score the runs I did in this innings and hopefully it can be carried forward into the second innings and beyond. There are just so many different situations you could be thrown into in the middle order.

“You could be facing the new ball and it is so difficult to compare positions when you’re batting.”

Bairstow and Dawid Malan put on 237 for the fifth wicket, a record for England against Australia.

But once the bubble was burst with Malan’s departure for 140 (below), six wickets fell for just 35 runs and England were 403 all, an all too familiar tale of batting fragility that has plagued the team for some time. Finding a solution will give them their best shot at glory.

And while the Ashes are still alive, it is surely worth cashing in on Bairstow and moving him up the order.

That would give him more partners because the tail enders are facing a relentless barrage from the Aussies.

Bairstow, who was out for 119, added: “Their plans when it comes to the tail are very clear.

“They are very fortunate to have three guys bowling upwards of 90mph consistently and that is a game-plan they are able to use very well.”

Bairstow’s first Ashes hundred was a special moment for him after all the off-field drama he has been involved in, not to mention the claims that the sledging of him had crossed a line.

A Clear Blue Sky is the title of his recently-released autobiography in which he goes into detail about his former cricketer father’s suicide when he was just eight years old.

It was appropriate he tilted his head back with arms aloft on reaching three figures as he looked to the heavens in recognition of his old man (far left). “It is something that naturally happens when you think about people who aren’t around,” he added.

“The hundred in many ways was my favourite one.

“I have played in many Ashes series now and to score an Ashes hundred is something you dream about as a kid. It had eluded me until now.

“There is a huge amount of pride that comes from it.”