Bairstow century gives Yorkshire close win in battle of Roses against Lancashire in the T20 Blast fixture at Manchester.
Belligerent Bairstow ton seals Roses spoils for Yorkshire.
At Emirates Old Trafford, struggling Yorkshire upset high-flying Lancashire Lightning with a thrilling 19-run Roses Vitality Blast victory, led by a career-best 116 off 54 balls from Jonny Bairstow, who struck 10 sixes.
On the strength of 236 for 6, Yorkshire won in Manchester for the first time since 2014, marking just their fourth victory in 11 North Group games this season.
Bairstow, the opener, shared 167 with rising Will Luxton, who hit seven sixes and scored 90 not out off 46 balls. Yorkshire had their best-ever second-wicket partnership in Blast history, which kept their faint hopes of making the quarterfinals alive.
Despite former England white-ball captain Jos Buttler’s season-high 55 off 33 balls, Lancashire’s fourth loss in 11 knocked them out of the top two spots in the group. Jordan Thompson struck twice for the Lightning, who finished at 217 for 7.
Yorkshire got off to a strong start by going 33 for 1 after three, but they lost Dawid Malan to Luke Wood early. James Anderson hit 50 off 24 balls during the powerplay, which saw Yorkshire finish at 72 for 1, and Bairstow drew him for an early six before launching him over long-on.
As Bairstow and Luxton, who also achieved a career-high score, put more pressure on the home attack—especially England white-ball spinner Tom Hartley, whose two overs went for 39—the charge persisted. With three sixes as 24 came off the 10th and Yorkshire reached halfway at 115 for 1, the two effectively defeated him down the ground.
Savage on anything full or short, Bairstow was at his most aggressive. A Jack Blatherwick bouncer gave him a painful punch to the neck, but it was just a small setback on his way to his sixth career century of 49 balls.
Australian Green finished with 4 for 34 after taking three of four wickets in a last over that went for only three runs.
However, in front of a crowd of slightly under 15,000, Yorkshire were unquestionably in the lead. Lancashire got off to a strong start with the bat as well, but Dom Bess made a brilliant back-peddling catch off Will Sutherland at mid-on, dismissing Keaton Jennings at 31 for 1 in the third over.
The total reached 106 for 2 after 10 overs as Buttler and Salt shared 72 in seven overs to boost home hopes, but Bess caught the latter at long-on off Thompson’s seam.
Then, as Yorkshire gained control, Thompson and Bess hit twice in as many overs with his offspin. At 133 for 4 in the 13th, James Wharton dived forwards and expertly held Luke Wells after Buttler was taken off guard by a top-edged pull.
Yorkshire then easily won the Roses for the third time in a row, after winning two at Headingley in the previous two seasons. The visitors’ 18 sixes to Lancashire’s nine was a significant contributing element.
In a run-out, Bess took one wicket, two catches, and half a hand.