PUDSEY Congs have signed Yorkshire and England wicketkeeper-batsman Jonny Bairstow.

The 25-year-old will therefore join elder brother Andrew at the JCT600 Bradford League club.

"It is a great privilege to have not one but two Bairstows playing for Congs," said the Britannia Ground club's spokesman Ralph Middlebrook.

"I am sure that it was a huge pull for Jonathan to play in the same side as his brother.

"Jonathan knelt on his hands and knees on the outfield to sign his registration form before Monday night's Twenty20 match against the Bradford League.

"Also, it is a ground that is good enough to host second-team cricket, which is another advantage."

The younger Bairstow lit up the evening by scoring 141 not out off just 59 balls, striking 14 sixes and nine fours as Yorkshire made 236-5.

The representative side replied with a creditable 190-8 against a county who were taking things seriously as they bid to make an impact in the ongoing NatWest T20 Blast.

Middlebrook said: "It just showed how cleanly he strikes the ball. It was not slogging.

"He played hockey as a youngster on grass, which has probably helped him – and I intend to get the tape measure out to measure the six that he hit over the houses as I know exactly where it landed in someone's back garden. It was a huge hit."

How often Bairstow plays, of course, is more of an unknown quantity.

Middlebrook said: "We signed Jack Brooks two seasons ago – this is his third year with us – and he hasn't played for us yet.

"But there is always the chance that Yorkshire might want players to get some league cricket under their belts if they have some down-time from county matches or if they are coming back from injury."

This belief was backed up by Yorkshire first-team skipper Andrew Gale, who said: "I do encourage the lads to have a league club because you never know when you are going to come back from injury or you might need a bit of form – like Ryan Sidebottom, for example.

"In a few weeks' time, when he's getting back to fitness and there's not much second-team cricket, we might have to get him playing some club cricket to get some overs in."

Monday night, which was a benefit match for Yorkshire all-rounder Richard Pyrah and was watched by abut 1,000 spectators, went well.

Middlebrook said: "We got some nice comments about the ground, the food, the ambience, the atmosphere, and it was a financial benefit for us as a club in these difficult times.

"It was good to see Jack Brooks and Liam Plunkett bowling fast and Adil Rashid bowling spin. Yorkshire taking things very seriously.

"Also Suleman Khan, James Smith, Callum Geldart and Gary Fellows showed up well for the Bradford League."

Third-placed Congs host second-bottom Saltaire in the Bradford League on Saturday, while leaders Pudsey St Lawrence are at third-bottom Farsley.

The top two meet in Division Two, with Scholes hosting early pace-setters Morley.