Jonny Bairstow cracks 97 off 88 balls for Yorkshire second XI on his return to competitive cricket from a freak leg injury

England keeper-batter Jonny Bairstow has marked a thunderous return to competitive cricket as he missed out on a hundred by just three runs. It was his first competitive game since featuring in a red-ball game against South Africa at Manchester in August 2022.

Playing for Yorkshire's second XI against Nottinghamshire, Bairstow blasted 97 off 88 deliveries, laced with 13 fours and a couple of sixes. It was Olly Stone who managed to dismiss him. With such form, the Englishman looks on track for the Ashes series, set to begin on June 16 at Edgbaston and spell trouble for Australia.

A freak leg injury ahead of the final Test of the summer against Proteas ruled him out of several months of action and he had to undergo surgery. Bairstow missed the T20I series in Pakistan, T20 World Cup in Australia, Test series in Pakistan and New Zealand. He was not available for the limited-overs tours of South Africa and Bangladesh as well.

He was initially in line to play in IPL 2023, but needed more time to recuperate as Punjab Kings announced Matthew Short as a replacement.

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"We'll go and have a look at him and see how he goes" - Ottis Gibson on Jonny Bairstow

Ottis Gibson. (Image Credits: Getty)

Ahead of Bairstow's return, Yorkshire head coach Ottis Gibson said they are keen to see how the 33-year-old goes with his batting and keeping. As quoted by Sky Sports, Gibson said:

"Jonny is going to play this week. We'll go and have a look at him and see how he goes. He's had such a long lay-off, so it's a fitness assessment for him to see what his capacity is and what he can do on the field in terms of running around in the outfield or standing behind the stumps. He will probably do both to see which one he's most comfortable with."

The Yorkshire batter scored four tons last summer and was also the only centurion for England in the 2021-22 Ashes series.