England star doing Bradford proud in golden summer

He started out 2022 with a bang, scoring 113 against Australia in Sydney and 140 versus the West Indies in Antigua.

But he ended that latter series badly, and did not make the best of starts against New Zealand either.

He was on a run of scores of 0, 22, 1, 16 and 8 heading into the second innings of the second Test at Trent Bridge against the Black Caps.

But with England attempting an attacking style of play called "Baz Ball" under new head coach Brendon McCullum and captain Ben Stokes, the Bradford superstar finally cut loose.

An extraordinary innings of 136 not out off just 92 balls, England's second fastest Test century, saw the hosts chase down 299 to win in the second innings.

His 162 in the next Test at home ground Headingley, in a partnership of 241 with debutant Jamie Overton, dragged England back from a position of concern, and then he blazed 71 not out in the second innings to see England home by seven wickets.

An emotional Jonny Bairstow looks to the sky after reaching a 50 at home ground Headingley against New Zealand this summer.

With England needing a win against India at Edgbaston to tie the Covid-postponed series earlier this week, Bairstow's 106 kept England in the game in an otherwise poor first innings.

And his 114 not out in the second innings was key to England completing their all-time record Test chase of 378.

For a man who has been in and out of the Test side since his debut over a decade ago, this might be the breakthrough he finally needed.

There has been a lot of talk about Bairstow's defensive technique over the years, and certainly he appeared prone to being bowled through the gate.

But why push and prod when you can play like Bairstow can anyway?

He has been a formidable white-ball player for England, Yorkshire and franchise sides for years, and his partnership with Jason Roy at the top of the order in the 2019 World Cup was hailed as a game-changer.

The pair proved they were capable of taking games away from the opposition within the first 20 or so overs of an innings, and in the end, England's four-year ODI plan ended up with them lifting the trophy for the first time.

The timings may be different, what with Bairstow part of England's Test middle order and the majority of those aforementioned innings coming three, four or five days into the game.

But the same principle still applies, and in virtually all of those knocks, Bairstow's fearsome hitting, by and large controlled and risk-free, has taken a game away from the opposition that looked to be slipping out of England's grasp.

Every one of his Test hundreds for England has come at a strike rate of above 50, showing that a busy Jonny Bairstow is usually the best Jonny Bairstow.

That is not to say Bairstow cannot defend though. Many of those innings were perfectly controlled and slow burners, with the Yorkshireman only accelerating after getting his eye in initially, including in the recent Test series.

As long as he does not dig himself into a hole, and knows he can kick on later on in the innings, when he has the measure of the pitch and the bowling attack, he is capable of going from nought to 60 in no time at all.

Bairstow is a popular figure too because of how he wears his heart on his sleeve.

His memoir A Clear Blue Sky, released in 2017, details the traumatic loss of his father David, who also played Test cricket for England.

Bairstow was only eight years old when his much-loved father took his own life, with his mother battling cancer at the time too.

Jonny Bairstow's mother Janet is always there to support him, and she is pictured here watching him in the stands at Headingley this summer.

But the family pulled together and battled back through that unimaginable adversity, with young Bairstow following in his dad's footsteps into the national side.

The Bradford star is known for his emotive celebrations when he reaches his century, which often see him look up to the sky in salute to his much-loved father.

It is not just that heartache that drives him, you also won't like Jonny Bairstow when he's angry, not if you're the opposition anyway.

With Bairstow on 13 off 63 balls in one innings this summer, India superstar Virat Kohli gave him a verbal volley.

Bad idea. Bairstow slammed 87 off the next 56 deliveries to rack up yet another stunning ton.

Jonny Bairstow scored hundreds in both innings against India earlier this week.

A passionate, free-spirited Bairstow, with a dash of control, is the best kind of Bairstow, and long may that continue.

We're lucky to be able to claim him as one of our own.