Jonny Bairstow will be available for Yorkshire’s trip to Leicestershire, which starts a week tomorrow, confirmed Ottis Gibson.
Bairstow will line up for his third successive appearance in Yorkshire colours as the Vitality County Championship promotion race comes to a boil.
And a repeat of his first-innings 160 in the draw against Middlesex at Headingley, which finished today, would be perfect.
“It was great to see Jonny get some runs, and I was always very sure Jonny was going to score some runs after the phone call he would have had a few days before that (being dropped from England’s white ball squads),” said coach Gibson.
“We’ve just had a chat now, Jonny and I, and he’s going to be available for the next game. That’s great for us with his experience.”
Gibson also said: “Jonny didn’t keep in this match because he got a small knock on the finger, but it’s nothing serious.
“We have two keepers, so there was no need to risk it.
“But Jonny then goes and fields in the slips and under the helmet. That’s Jonny for you!”
Bairstow shared a double century partnership with George Hill in Yorkshire’s first-innings 601-6 declared, which Middlesex responded to with 522 all out.
Hill hit a superb 169 not out before Dom Bess claimed 7-179 from a marathon 70.4 overs of off-spin.
It was Hill’s first century of the season, and Gibson was delighted for him.
He said: “Every decision as a coach is a difficult decision with ramifications.
“I thought George was too important a player for us to leave out.
“His form with the bat hasn’t been great, but he’s been going really well with the ball. So we had an honest conversation, I moved him down to eight last week and up to seven this, and he went and got a brilliant hundred.
“The pitch was easy enough with a bit of spin there for their leggie (Luke Hollman). But he still had to go and bat well alongside Jonny.
“The England guys when they come back, their value is far more than runs. I’ve said that about Joe Root a number of times, and I’ll say the same about Jonny this week.
“So, George is struggling, and George gets to bat for a very long time with Jonny Bairstow in the middle.
“It takes a lot of pressure off him, and he can learn from Jonny and have conversations with him. I know those two have a really good relationship, so it was perfect.”
Yorkshire’s spinners shared 143.4 overs in Middlesex’s only innings with the bat. Bess gained most reward in his 70.4, Adam Lyth bowled 12 and Dan Moriarty bowled 61, returning 0-174.
Gibson said: “Dom got the seven wickets and bowled fantastically well.
“Dom was more threatening and attacking in this game, but 130-odd overs between the two of them, that’s toiling! They did a great job for the team.
“I thought the spinners worked well together.
“Dan bowled nicely and created opportunities. Some of those half chances, had they been taken it would have boosted his confidence. It didn’t happen for him.”
Third-placed Yorkshire are now just one point behind Middlesex in second with three games to go in the Division Two promotion race.
Gibson added: “It was a difficult four days, I guess, for everybody – even those watching.
“We wanted a pitch that spun, and it did spin. But it was low and it was slow. I’d imagine the cricket wasn’t amazing to watch.
“A couple of weeks ago, I said to you, ‘If we think about our promotion drive, if we win and don’t lose (against Sussex and Middlesex), we’ll still get promoted’. So, having drawn that game, it gives us a great chance.
“There’s only one point in it between ourselves and Middlesex with three games to go, and they have to go and play at Sussex in the last game of the season.
“It might turn out to be a dogfight between us and them because Sussex have a bit of a lead now – 20 points. We’re prepared for that.”
Gibson also confirmed some additional mixed availability news.
He will check on captain Shan Masood’s availability post the Pakistan v Bangladesh Test series, which finishes on Tuesday.
Matthew Fisher is in contention to play at Leicestershire after recovering from the ankle injury which has prevented his first-team involvement since May.
Matt Milnes may play some second-team cricket before the end of the season as his recovery from a back stress fracture continues to be positive. He has been bowling on the outfield before play over the last four days.
Unfortunately, however, Matthew Revis has developed a “small hotspot in his back” and will be unable to bowl again this season. A stress fracture type injury, the all-rounder could still potentially play as a batter if required.
