JONNY BAIRSTOW'S fourth LV= County Championship century of 2015 prevented Yorkshire from a batting disaster during the opening day of their clash with Warwickshire at Edgbaston, strengthening his case for Ashes cricket in the process.

The 25-year-old York star backed up the previous week's career-best unbeaten 219 against Durham with 108 off 139 balls and recovered the league leaders from 26-3 to 213 all out inside 67 overs of a weather-interrupted day.

Yorkshire were then boosted by two Ryan Sidebottom wickets in the first three balls of the home reply as they closed on 11-2 from five overs.

Bairstow has passed 50 seven times in nine Championship innings and is now the leading run-scorer in Division One with 744, despite having missed the first three matches due to back-up Test duty in the Caribbean.

He is now surely the next cab off the rank should England require a specialist batsman against Australia and he admitted he is in the form of his life.

Bairstow said: "No I haven't (had a better run of form in my career). I'm pleased with the way I'm playing and long may it continue.

"But I'm not getting too far ahead of myself. A couple of good balls and you can go blob, blob.

"While you're striking the ball well and luck's in your favour, you've got to capitalise and score as many runs as you can because there's enough times when you don't score runs."

Yorkshire slipped further to 55-4 shortly after Bairstow's arrival at the crease in the morning as an accurate home attack took advantage of swinging conditions.

He shared 74 inside 22 overs for the fifth wicket with Aaron Finch, who posted 28.

Bairstow was handed a life on 37 in the final over before lunch when, off Chris Wright's bowling, he saw wicketkeeper Pete McKay spill a tough leg-side chance.

Wright finished with 5-40, including bowling Bairstow, while former Yorkshire seamer Oliver Hannon-Dalby and Rikki Clarke struck twice apiece during a day which saw three weather stoppages, including a hailstorm at 4.45pm.

Only Bairstow, Finch and Alex Lees (18) made it beyond 15 for Yorkshire.

"We perhaps didn't play as well as we have done with the bat, with a few easy dismissals," said Bairstow.

"We've recognised that and seen that and I'm sure it will be put right in the second innings.

"Everyone's got belief, whether it's batting, bowling or fielding at the moment. That's important and it was a great start by the guys with the ball."

Wright had made the breakthrough for Warwickshire when he bowled Will Rhodes in the seventh over, before the same man had Jack Leaning caught at third slip.

The former Essex seamer returned to take the last three wickets of the innings, getting Steve Patterson caught behind and bowling Bairstow, playing aggressively across the line, and Jack Brooks.

Sidebottom then bowled Varun Chopra with the first ball of the innings as he offered no shot to an in-swinger before nightwatchman Wright was trapped lbw.

Bairstow said: "It swung all day. It was bouncing as well, which is good to see going forward for the rest of the game.

"There was good carry from their bowlers, so that gives encouragement for our guys that if they put it in the right areas, it will carry."