Jonny Bairstow, as Wisden recently noted, was a man for a crisis in 2015 and on the opening day of Yorkshire’s bid for a hat‑trick of County Championship titles he proved it once more as his unbeaten 107, along with 111 from the opener Adam Lyth, deflated Hampshire’s early optimism.
Arriving at the middle with the score 41 for three in the 21st over, after icy conditions and a wet outfield caused a 30-minute delay first thing, Bairstow would assert himself on Hampshire, putting on 205 with Lyth for the fourth wicket for what was the bulk of Yorkshire’s 270 for five by the time bad light brought an early close at 5.35pm.
While Bairstow, who will resume with Adil Rashid unbeaten on seven, is certain of a Test place against Sri Lanka next month following his 359 runs in the winter series win against South Africa, Lyth’s 17th first-class hundred represented an ideal start to the season for a player discarded by England after last summer, with the national selector James Whitaker present at the ground.
“I’m not in the England side now so there’s no point getting down about it,” said the 28-year-old Lyth, whose century came from 188 balls with the bulk of his 18 fours through his favoured cover region. “I’ll keep churning them out and knocking on the door.
“I left the ball probably a bit better today than I did during the Ashes. But they’re not the same bowlers as the Aussies. Fidel Edwards gets it through at good pace, but all respect to the other guys, they don’t bowl at 90mph.”
Lyth’s disappointing Ashes may see other openers higher on England’s list and yet the example of Bairstow does not mean all hope of an international recall should be lost; his five centuries last summer, which prompted a return during that series, all came at times of strife. This, his sixth in 16 championship innings, was another such firefight.
Eschewing the toss and making first use of the pitch, Hampshire were flying when, in bright sunshine, they struck three early blows. Alex Lees edged a lifting delivery from James Tomlinson to third slip on seven before Gary Ballance, who Whitaker was probably running the rule over, feathered another left-armer, Chris Wood, behind for 12 attempting to leave.
When the captain, Andrew Gale, was strangled down leg, for a 12-ball duck, by Ryan McLaren, with Lyth already given a life on 14 when Edwards shelled a return catch, a false start by the champions looked on. But Bairstow and Lyth reached 80 for no further wicket at lunch, before a wicketless afternoon flipped round the initiative.
The loss of Lyth after tea, lbw to Sean Ervine, and Jack Leaning, caught behind off Wood for one, summed up a surface offering wickets in clusters. But with Bairstow remaining at the crease, and glowing with confidence following 14 fours and one pulled six, it felt like Yorkshire had the upper hand going into the second day.
