Jonny Bairstow fell two runs short of a second century in his new No 3 position but the Yorkshireman’s desire to reclaim England’s wicketkeeping gloves remains undimmed.
On a day when Mark Wood was called up as the replacement for Olly Stone, who leaves on Friday following the diagnosis of a lower back stress injury, it was Bairstow who crackled. His 98 from 112 balls helped the tourists to 379 all out against the West Indies President’s XI – their final innings before next week’s first Test.
After finding first-drop to be the only vacancy in Sri Lanka, after an ankle injury during a football warm-up set up Ben Foakes for a golden debut series, Bairstow responded with a century in Colombo. He continues to work hard with the wicketkeeping coach, Bruce French, both as first reserve and with an eye on the main job.
“I’ve not stopped practising my keeping, not by any means – we’ve all seen how quickly things change,” said Bairstow, with somewhat tempered enthusiasm about making the No 3 position his own.
“You want to be doing something you’ve done the last 10-15 years of your career. At the moment I’m No 3, but who knows what will happen down the line? I just want to be playing, like I’ve always said. You don’t want to be out of the team.”
Having given his wicket away in the first two-day match, Bairstow looked in fine touch on Thursday. Arriving in the seventh over after Keaton Jennings was adjudged lbw for seven off the left-arm seam of Raymon Reifer, he set out steadily manipulating the ball while occasionally brutalising it.
His treatment of the off-spinner Bryan Charles was particularly dismissive but it was his judgment against the seamers that impressed; Bairstow seldom looks better than when he is meeting the ball under his nose, rather than playing away from his body.
Despite surviving a catch at mid-off on 94 when Miguel Cummins overstepped, three-figures was not to be. Jason Holder, the West Indies captain, had just emerged from the nets at the Three Ws Oval when Bairstow picked out deep midwicket off Reifer attempting a third six.
It followed a stand of 118 from 30 overs with Rory Burns, who compiled a fluent 68 from 131 minutes – the same time it took him to make 35 two days earlier on a trickier surface. Though Burns survived a drop by the wicketkeeper Jahmar Hamilton on 11, and was eventually stumped off Charles, he, too, appears in good order.
Hamilton was less charitable towards the returning Jos Buttler, taking a flying catch in front of second slip when the batsman was undone by the angle of Reifer on four. The England vice-captain, leading in the absence of the rested Joe Root, has at least felt the middle of his bat on ball recently while playing Twenty20 in Australia.
Moeen Ali, in at No 5 but expected to bat three spots lower next week, did not convince during a 45 minute-stay for six runs, surviving a drop at slip on one before slashing to point off the seamer Chemar Holder.
Joe Denly (12) also squandered a rare chance when bowled by Holder attempting a deft guide, while Foakes (22) was also cleaned up swiping at Chandrapaul Hemraj’s part-time spin. There was valuable time in the middle for Sam Curran, at least, with a typically impish 47 containing five fours and two sweet sixes.
Joining the tourists at Monday’s first practice session at the Kensington Oval will be Wood, whose call-up represents a show of confidence from the selectors; despite injuries and fleeting success in Test cricket – 30 wickets at 41 from 12 caps – the 29-year-old remains ahead of Jamie Overton and Jamie Porter.
His most recent Test cap came against Pakistan at Lord’s in May and though a stop-start summer with Durham followed, the coaching staff from the pre-Christmas England Lions tour of the UAE reported a return to the promising speeds that earned his initial call-up in 2015.
Wood said: “I put a lot of work into my game when I was away with Lions. We discussed the way I trained, being more efficient with my preparation and having a positive mindset.
“My body is good to go. I left the Lions tour in a really good place physically. Mentally, I feel fresh and excited to continue to improve on things I started with the Lions and play with a smile on my face.”
