Bairstow to get SOS for T20 series which may lead to a Test recall
ENGLAND will send an SOS call to Jonny Bairstow as they try to avoid a series defeat in New Zealand.
The powerhouse batsman was scheduled to play his third and final game of the T20 series in Auckland on Sunday, with less experienced players given their chance in the penultimate match in Napier tomorrow.
But two defeats on the bounce, plus an iffy weather forecast for Sunday’s finale, will see skipper Eoin Morgan call on Bairstow (right) to tear into the Kiwi bowlers once more.
And another strong showing from the Yorkshireman tomorrow could see him get promoted into the Test squad, with Joe Denly set to lose his battle with his ankle injury.
The surgical boot might have come off his right foot, but the 33-year-old still remains a long way off match fitness for a first-class game let alone a Test match.
And with just one warm-up game starting on Thursday before the twoTest series begins a week later, it could be a lifeline for Bairstow.
He will be competing with James Vince and Dawid Malan for the late call-up, but his experience and quality should tell with the uncapped Zak Crawley the current spare batsman in the squad.
Vince will make way for Bairstow in Napier as England attempt to draw level with the Black Caps, who are welcoming Trent Boult back into their set-up after a break.
Bairstow will open the batting for the first time with Tom Banton, his Welsh Fire team-mate in The Hundred, who scored just 18 on debut in Nelson before getting out to an attempted scoop shot.
But Banton promises there will be no let-up in his attacking style.
“The thing that gives me the edge is I go out and play with freedom,” he said. “I like to take it to the bowler.”
Matches ........... 32 innings ............. 27 Runs ............... 548 High score ........ 68 Average ....... 26.09 Strike rate..129.55 Hundreds ........... 0 Fifties ................ 3 Fours ................ 53 Sixes ................ 20 Catches ............ 30 stumpings .......... 0
Tests 69 121 4020 167no 35.26 55.17 6 21 471 26 181 13