Jonny Bairstow stakes claim for extended run at No 6 for England with second century of the winter

Even Jonny Bairstow would struggle to work out which phase of his Test career he is currently on given the shaky hold he has had on an England place but after a second hundred of the winter he should at least have some certainty over his position for a while.

Bairstow is the only England batsman to make three figures since last summer - his unbeaten 106 against the West Indies President’s XI following on from his pugnacious hundred in Sydney that averted the Ashes whitewash.

Pat Cummins broke his thumb in that innings, he missed the last Ashes Test in Hobart, but there was no sign of the injury on Wednesday as Bairstow took the chance of time in the middle on a slow pitch and against weary bowlers in the field for five sessions of hot, hard leg-work.

There were plenty of lusty, bottom-handed blows to the leg side and, looking trimmer than in Australia, his running between the wickets showed a player who has rediscovered his mojo for Test cricket.

England’s preparation for the Ashes tour was woefully inadequate but this time they have made the most of a four-day, non-first class game batting for 145 overs with all frontline batsmen apart from Ben Stokes batting for at least two hours. 

Five of the top six passed 50 and stands of 88, 98, 64, 57 and 111 took England to 466 for six declared, their longest innings of the winter, and this with five of the top seven who did not start the Ashes.

Dan Lawrence made 83 attractive runs in his first stab at Root's job at No 4 before receiving the best ball of the innings, a sharply rising delivery that he poked to slip. Lawrence was the surprise pick at four and Bairstow, with 80 Tests, would make a more experienced choice but it would mean moving him from six where he scored his