Jonny Bairstow will get his first career hundred sooner rather than later, according to Yorkshire director of professional cricket Martyn Moxon.

The 21-year-old England Lions wicketkeeper from York has recorded 16 fifties in his first-class career, but never a century.

He scored an eye-catching 81 in the second innings of Yorkshire’s LV= County Championship defeat against Durham at Headingley on Sunday, the sixth time he has made it into the 80s during his first-class career.

But Moxon is not concerned by his star’s failure to reach three figures, preferring to take the ‘glass is half full’ approach ahead of tomorrow’s home match against champions Nottinghamshire.

He said: “In the second innings against Durham, I thought he looked back to somewhere near his best.

“Hopefully that is a springboard now for him to go on and have a good summer.

“I guess it could become a bit of a mental block over not getting to three figures, but I’d look at the positives.

“I was delighted with the way he played, and I think that’s a really good sign. It’s only a matter of time before he gets a hundred, I’m sure.

“If he keeps playing the way he has, then he will get plenty of hundreds.

“He didn’t play that many games with the Lions (in the West Indies), but you could see that his footwork was perhaps a little bit tentative against Worcestershire. It was brilliant (against Durham).”

Eighties from Bairstow and all-rounder Rich Pyrah were at the heart of Yorkshire’s valiant attempt to secure a draw against Durham, although they have the chance to atone for that loss against champions Nottinghamshire at Headingley tomorrow.

It is the first of back-to-back fixtures against Notts, only separated by two 40-over matches and a three-day friendly against Durham University.

And Moxon believes that only after their trip to Trent Bridge in a fortnight can his side’s credentials be properly assessed.

He said: “I guess we will have a good idea of where we are after these two games. I said last year that we needed to wait until the half-way stage before we could start making any predictions, but we’ll have played four games after these two against Notts.

“We’ll know roughly where we stand by then.

“They’re going to be two tough matches, and we’re going to have to improve.”

Moxon does not anticipate making any changes to his squad for the visit of Chris Read’s men, who won their first match against Hampshire on Saturday.

Ajmal Shahzad will miss out, but should play in Sunday’s Clydesdale Bank 40 opener against Holland at Headingley.

He could then face the students of Durham at the Racecourse ground next Wednesday.