JONNY BAIRSTOW has urged York captain Nick Kay to take his place in the Yorkshire League Select team to face Yorkshire in Wednesday’s Twenty20 clash at Clifton Park.

Bairstow returns home to continue preparations for a long NatWest T20 Blast competition with the Vikings, with the evening clash the last of three friendlies against league opposition.

Yorkshire face a Bradford League Select XI at Pudsey Congs tonight, the club where his brother Andrew still plays, before taking on a Harrogate CC Select XI tomorrow.

Australian World Cup winning all-rounder Glenn Maxwell has been named in tonight’s side ahead of his competitive debut in Friday’s NatWest T20 Blast clash with Nottinghamshire on Friday.

And he is expected to play at Clifton Park as well.

But Bairstow wants him and the Aussie all-rounder to be lining up against Kay, a fellow former St Peter’s School pupil.

Yorkshire opened their T20 Blast account with a seven-wicket win over Derbyshire at Headingley on Friday, in which 25-year-old Bairstow scored an unbeaten 40 to anchor the pursuit of 129.

And he said: “I’m looking forward to going over to Pudsey Congs and over to York as well.

“I’ve played at York, and my brother is from Pudsey Congs. It will be fantastic to go and play there.

“I’ve not played at Pudsey for a long, long time. I’m sure it will be a good crowd there. Slightly hostile, I’m sure, but it will good fun. Hopefully we can put some more performances in and keep going.

“On Wednesday, we want Nick Kay to be playing. I think he’s trying to bottle it, but we want the word around that Nick Kay has to play. He is still the leading run-scorer at St Peter’s School ever, and the word is that he’s not playing.

“Nick Kay, we want you to play!”

Maxwell flew to the UK from India yesterday to begin his overseas commitments at Headingley.

“He’s going to be raring to go. He’s been over there at the IPL, and I’m sure he’ll be chomping at the bit,” added Bairstow. “Hopefully, he’ll be able to make a massive impact.

“He’s fitting into an already strong batting line-up. It will be good fun because you’ve still got Gaz and Rooty to come back for one of the games (Lancashire at home). It will be interesting to see how the batting line up goes.”

All matches start at 5.30pm.