The son of the former England wicketkeeper David Bairstow, Jonny's talent with the bat was evident from an early age. An early starter with Yorkshire's Under-15s, he was named Young Wisden Schools Cricketer of the Year in 2007, having already played for Yorkshire's Second X1 and their Academy side and represented England Under-17. He enjoyed a fine 2008 season for Yorkshire seconds, scoring 308 runs at 61.60 in the Second XI Championship, and in October of that year followed in his father's footsteps by signing a full-time contract with Yorkshire.

He made an impressive first-class debut against Somerset in June 2009, cracking 82 in his second innings and soon secured his place in the first XI and further honours followed when he was picked up by England's Performance Programme and included in the England Lions successful tour of the Caribbean in January 2011.

By now Yorkshire's first-choice keeper, he registered his maiden first-class hundred against Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge in May of that year, and, having previously passed fifty 17 times without reaching three figures in 34 first-class matches, just to emphasise his breakthrough, he made it a double. During his brilliant attacking innings, he was joined by England's recently retired opening bowler Ryan Sidebottom, in a record ninth wicket partnership for Yorkshire against Nottinghamshire (which had stood since 1899) of 151. Bairstow and Sidebottom were sons of two of Yorkshire's best-loved former players, David Bairstow and Arnie Sidebottom. The passing of talent between the generations could not have been more satisfactorily captured.

Many suspected that, long term, Bairstow would become a specialist batsman and his debut innings in one-day internationals backed up that theory as he hit an unbeaten 41 off 21 balls against India at Cardiff before a tough tour of India showed the realities of international cricket. However, further development followed with a match-winning T20 innings against Pakistan in the UAE and after a strong start to the 2012 season he was handed a call-up to the Test squad to face West Indies.

It was not a happy series for Bairstow, whose problems against some hostile short bowling from Kemar Roach gained much media attention, and after a modest return of 38 runs at 12.66 he was left out of the opening Test of the South Africa series as England went with Ravi Bopara. Confirmation that he had slipped back in the selectors' thinking came when Bopara withdrew from the second Test for personal reasons and James Taylor was preferred.

But after Kevin Pietersen was dropped in extraordinary circumstances for the third Test at Lord's, another opportunity arose for Bairstow to which he responded magnificently. Confidence bolstered by a century for England Lions against Australia A, he led an England fightback from 54 for 4 in their first innings on day two with a brilliant 95, emerging from a peppering with short deliveries to play some fluent attacking shots in an innings former England captain Michael Vaughan said would have been the finest maiden Test century he had witnessed had his fellow Yorkshireman not been bowled by Morne Morkel. Another half-century in the second innings completed a fine match for him as an individual, even though England ultimately lost the Test and the series.

His increasing international involvement restricted his appearances for Yorkshire, although he did find time to hit 182 -- his second biggest first-class score -- to set up a crushing win over Leicestershire at Scarborough in the LV= Championship and a match-winning 68 not out against Sussex in the semi-finals of the FLt20.

Bairstow retained his place for England's winter schedule, beginning with the World Twenty20 in Sri Lanka. He was unable to make a significant contribution and his participation in the India Test series was also limited before he was granted leave to return home because of a family illness, missing the subsequent ODI series.

ESPNcricinfo - January 2013