JONNY BAIRSTOW again starred with the bat as Yorkshire made it five successive victories in the LV= County Championship with a seven-wicket win over Worcestershire.

Set 157 to win, the Tykes faltered to 44-3 before Bairstow joined Alex Lees to share in an unbroken partnership of 113 to see the home side home and stretch their lead at the top of the Division One table to 34 points with a game in hand.

Bairstow made 74 not out from 51 balls to add to his first innings 139 as he celebrated his call-up to the England Test squad, while Lees finished unbeaten on 58.

The victory means this is the first Yorkshire team to win five successive Championship matches in a campaign since 1998.

But despite their win and current form, head coach Jason Gillespie feels his side still have plenty to give as they chase back-to-back titles.

“Obviously, I am very pleased to come away with full points but I still think this was not our best performance and I acknowledge that,” he said.

“We had one big partnership in the first innings and a century stand in the second but otherwise we are not nailing our partnerships.

“It is nice to be at the top of the Championship table but we still have six games to play and we need to make sure we maintain our standards and do well.

“We have to respect the form we are in although we are still not at our best.”

Worcestershire began the day 71 ahead on 221-6, and made a bright start before Joe Leach (27) drilled Steven Patterson straight to Liam Plunkett at short-cover.

Jack Brooks and Ryan Sidebottom then accounted for Jack Shantry (8) and Ross Whiteley (101) with the second new ball, but final pair Saeed Ajmal and Charlie Morris frustrated the Yorkshire bowlers for the second time in the match.

The duo added 26 for the final wicket before Morris (11) was bowled by Sidebottom as the Pears were dismissed in their second innings for 306.

With showers forecast for later in the day, openers Lees and Will Rhodes wasted no time in the run-chase as they scored 34 in the opening five overs.

But after Rhodes (12) fell to Ajmal shortly before lunch, Jack Leaning (4) was LBW to Morris and Andrew Gale (4) run out to leave the hosts 44-3.

That only brought Bairstow to the crease, and he again showcased his talent with an array of fine strokes to lead Yorkshire home midway through the afternoon session.

The wicketkeeper hit nine fours and three sixes, including an extraordinary stroke when he ran to cover to hit the ball to the boundary after the ball slipped out of Morris’ hand in his delivery stride.

He also hit Ajmal for three successive boundaries as he brought up his half-century in 39 balls before clipping a two into the leg-side for the winning runs.

Lees showed good support in what was a first half-century in red-ball cricket in 14 innings for the left-hander.