PERTH

Bairstow’s brutal century sends World Cup warning as England put on show of strength

JONNY BAIRSTOW pulled Pakistan apart to fire another World Cup warning.

His seventh one-day century was full of flicks, hoicks, sweeps and pulls over the legside boundary and the bowlers could not cope.

Jos Buttler was not even in the team, yet the clean hitting remained just as pristine in a six-wicket win that was England’s fifth-highest successful run chase, completed with five overs to spare.

A target of 359 in 50 overs should take some doing, but openers Bairstow and Jason Roy made it look a formality.

Who would want to bowl to either of them on this brutal form? “I was really pleased with it,” said Bairstow. “Coming back to English conditions after being in India, you want to hit the ground running.

“Jason and I had a laugh out there and enjoyed each other’s success. Hopefully we’ll keep doing that.”

Although when Bairstow eventually chopped on to Junaid Khan for 128, he was so annoyed he lashed out at the stumps before trudging off.

It would be a shame if he was penalised heavily, but match referee Richie Richardson may have no choice.

Bairstow added: “When you get in the position to make a big hundred for your country you get frustrated when you get out, you want to go on, but it is a good frustration.”

Roy and Bairstow have only opened together in 26 matches, yet have already combined for seven century partnerships – an everextending England record.

This one was worth 159 before Roy was caught at cover. The duo should have been stopped in their tracks sooner when Shaheen Afridi dropped a simple chance when Roy was on 21.

Instead, he went on to hit 76 from 55 balls until Asif Ali finally held on.

Joe Root played a significant part in making 43 before being caught at mid-off, which cleared the way for Ben Stokes, Moeen

Ali and Eoin Morgan to finish the chase.