IPL 2023: Punjab Kings' Jonny Bairstow cracks 88-ball 97 on his return from injury for Yorkshire

Jonny Bairstow made his return to the cricket pitch after a gap of almost eight months and the England wicketkeeper-batter started from where he left off last summer as he fell three runs short of a century.

In his comeback for Yorkshire's second XI, the explosive right-handed batter walked into the middle at number four and smashed an 88-ball 97, including 13 fours and a couple of sixes.

He tried to hit fellow England international Olly Stone over the cover region to get to his hundred but failed and walked back to the pavilion.

Bairstow - who is part of the Punjab Kings franchise in the IPL - is missing the IPL 2023 season due to the injury he sustained last year. Punjab Kings is missing the services of a senior pro like the English cricketer.

Jonny Bairstow suffered a freak accident in 2022

The 33-year-old has not played since a freak golfing accident last September left him with three separate fractures in his left leg as well as a dislocated ankle and ligament damage but took the biggest step yet on what has been a long and arduous recovery.

Bairstow was in the midst of a career-best run of form when injury struck, taking a leading role in England's Test renaissance with four hundred in five innings, and he was back amongst the runs on day one against Nottinghamshire's second string at Headingley.

Even allowing for a few signs of ring rust after 241 days out, he was a cut above the standard of most of the Nottinghamshire attack but found himself in a more serious tussle with Stone. Like Bairstow, the former Warwickshire quick has designs on a role in the forthcoming Ashes series, and he was unlucky to have Bairstow dropped on 21.

His third delivery to Bairstow flew off the outside edge at shoulder height and should have been taken at second slip, only for Calvin Harrison to parry the chance for four.

Stone, watched from the sidelines by the England and Wales Cricket Board's elite pace bowling coach Neil Killeen, took one for seven from his first five overs, hassled Bairstow more than once in his second spell and removed him with the first ball of his third. His chances of joining the batter on the field against Australia in the coming months cannot have been harmed.

Bairstow has already been effectively promised his place back by head coach Brendon McCullum and captain Ben Stokes, though there has been some speculation about where he will slot in.

By coming in at four he appeared to put down a marker for his preferred middle order berth, further diminishing the fanciful idea that he could make a late conversion to Test opener, and he arrived at the crease in the 25th over at 109 for two.

He faced just eight balls before lunch, but breezed to fifty in the afternoon session, taking just 47 deliveries. Bairstow's attacking repertoire got a workout, flicking former Tyke Tom Loten over midwicket for four, threading regular shots to the unguarded third man boundary and easing an on-drive with expert timing towards the Howard Stand.

Not everything was fully controlled, an edge off Toby Pettman sailing through the recently vacated slip area and an uncontrolled chip shot only just landing safe, but for the most part Bairstow was in charge.

The arrival of Harrison's leg-spin allowed him to shift up a gear, with one slog sweep landing in the seats of the East Stand and another disappearing over wide long-on.

By then a century seemed almost inevitable, but the return of Stone brought instant rewards as Bairstow looked to get on top of a shorter ball outside off stump only to find Harrison's hands at cover.

Bairstow, who may share wicketkeeping gloves with Harry Duke as the game progresses, is eyeing a return to the Yorkshire first team next week against Glamorgan as he builds up his fitness.

(With OPTA Inputs)