Jonny Bairstow hits ton but England’s seamers struggle for wickets in warm-up

Jonny Bairstow picked up where he left off in Sydney with a century on the second day of England’s Test warm-up in the West Indies.

Bairstow celebrated an unbeaten 106 against a CWI President’s XI in Antigua, raising his bat just before the tea interval and ushering in a declaration at 466 for six.

Back in January at the SCG he was responsible for the only English century of a torrid Ashes campaign, but also sustained a fractured thumb that ruled him out of the abject finale in Hobart.

Pain-free and slotting back in at number six at the Coolidge Cricket Ground he imposed himself on a weary home attack as they laboured on a pitch that had long since gone to sleep. He piled up 13 boundaries and a six in two dominant sessions to underline his status as a vital cog in this revamped batting line-up.

Resuming on four not out overnight, Bairstow became the fifth player to pass fifty following Zak Crawley (62), Alex Lees (65), Joe Root (54) and Dan Lawrence (83). Chris Woakes would surely have followed suit on his 33rd birthday but was left high and dry on 49 when Root called his side in.

That left a full session for England’s bowlers to show there is life after James Anderson and Stuart Broad – both controversially overlooked for this trip – but the seam attack found little joy in the surface.

The local side reached 48 for two, the initial breakthrough coming when Craig Overton ran out a hesitant Jeremy Solozano off his own bowling before Jack Leach spun one through Shayne Moseley’s booming drive.

Woakes and Ollie Robinson took new-ball duties, just as they did back in the Ashes opener at the Gabba in December when Anderson and Broad were not deemed fit, but were unable to create any real mischief.

They shared 14 overs but