PERTH: Tales of Jonny Bairstow’s headbutting incident left Australia captain Steve Smith giggling like a schoolboy just weeks ago, but the wicketkeeper batsman’s maiden Ashes century in Perth on Friday allowed England skipper Joe Root the last laugh.
Bairstow gently tapped his helmet against his head upon reaching the milestone to the delight of Root and his team-mates who jubilantly roared their support in the dressing room.
The wicketkeeper’s 119 helped push England to 403 on day three of the third test, their highest first innings total in Australia since January, 2011.
Bairstow said his celebration was a bit of “light-hearted, fun” in reference to the October night out where he greeted Australia opener Cameron Bancroft with a headbutt at a bar.
It took nearly a month for the incident to be revealed, however, when Australia’s fielders were heard trying to get inside the Yorkshireman’s head when he was batting during the series-opener in Brisbane.
Bancroft recalled the incident in a news conference with his captain Smith sat beside him laughing heartily following England’s 10-wicket first test defeat at the Gabba. Bairstow felt he had been “stitched up” by Australia and that the event had been blown completely out of proportion.
So he celebrated emotionally at the WACA after pulling Mitchell Marsh behind square for a single to reach his ton.
“The hundred, in many ways, was my favourite one,” the 28-year-old told reporters.
“I’ve played in a few Ashes series so far now and to score an Ashes hundred is something you dream about as a kid. “It was really good fun out there, I absolutely loved every single minute of it.”
Bairstow was unable to truly cash in, with his batting partners crumbling around him as England lost their last six wickets for 35 runs.
He was bowled by a full inswinger from fast bowler Mitchell Starc which clipped the inside edge and uprooted middle stump.— Reuters
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