Director of professional cricket Martyn Moxon has backed Jonny Bairstow to become Yorkshire’s long-term Twenty20 opener, writes Graham Hardcastle.

The 21-year-old wicketkeeper-batsman from York started this summer’s Friends Life t20 campaign as Andrew Gale’s partner against the new ball.

But he has been moved into the middle order during the last fortnight to accommodate Joe Sayers’ return to the side.

Bairstow struggled for consistency as an opener, scoring 128 runs from seven innings, but showed encouraging signs against Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge and Lancashire at Headingley, notching 31 off 24 balls and 32 off 19.

Bairstow was employed down the order last year, identified as the best man to finish the innings.

And that is where he was employed again when Sayers was picked after his two-year exile from Twenty20.

Moxon said: “We used Jonny in that position last year, and he did well. But I still think he could make it as an opener in this form of the game.

“It’s a difficult role to fill and do it well. He wasn’t a total failure when he did it, but he wasn’t a raging success either.

“We tried to give him the role where he has a clear head and just goes out and hits the ball. That kind of method of learning how to bat is one you have to learn. It will only come by doing it.”

Anthony McGrath’s lack of form, which forced him to be dropped, impacted heavily on a re-jig of the batting order.

And Moxon added: “With us bringing Joe back in, we think he has to bat at the top. It’s allowed Jonny to go in and play with freedom towards the end of the innings.

“Jonny will do whatever role we ask. But I think, long-term, he could make a serious opener.”