Jonathan Marc Bairstow (born 26 September 1989) is an English cricketer who played internationally for England in all formats as a right-handed wicket-keeper-batter. He represents Yorkshire in domestic cricket and London Spirit in The Hundred. Bairstow was part of the England team that won the 2019 Cricket World Cup.

Early life Jonny Bairstow was born on 26 September 1989 in Bradford, West Yorkshire. His mother, Janet, became the first female vice-president of Yorkshire County Cricket Club in 2020. His father was David Bairstow, who played as a wicket-keeper for both Yorkshire and England. David died by suicide in 1998 when Jonny was eight years old, but he had taught Jonny how to play cricket and has remained a lasting inspiration. Jonny has a sister, Rebecca, and their elder half-brother is former Derbyshire player Andrew Bairstow.

Bairstow went to St Peter's School, York, in 2001 and became an all-round athlete. When he was interviewed by Wisden Cricketers' Almanack in 2016, he recalled that besides keeping wicket in cricket, he had been a fly-half in rugby, a centre-mid in hockey, and a right-back in football. His cricketing ability was recognised by Wisden in 2008 when he was chosen as the inaugural winner of their Young Schools Cricketer of the Year award, after he had scored 654 runs for the school in 2007. In football, Bairstow was a member of the Leeds United Academy for eight years until he was fifteen. When it came to a choice between cricket and football, he felt that he had the ability "to make it professionally" in cricket, but not in football.

Yorkshire Aged 18, Bairstow was invited to play Second Eleven cricket for Yorkshire in the 2008 season, making six appearances in the Second XI Championship, in which he scored 308 runs at an average of 61.60. He was included in Yorkshire's first-team squad for the final County Championship match of the season against Sussex, but was not selected for the starting eleven. Three weeks later, however, Bairstow signed a two-year contract with Yorkshire.

He began the 2009 season playing for the Second XI. He was awarded his Second XI cap and, in early June, he scored 202 not out against Leicestershire Second XI. Bairstow was then picked for the first team in a County Championship match against Somerset at Headingley. He replaced the injured Michael Vaughan and, on his first-class debut, scored 28 and 82. In Somerset's second innings, Yorkshire's wicket-keeper Gerard Brophy was injured and Bairstow replaced him, taking four catches. He played in twelve first-class matches that season, scoring 592 runs at an average of 45.53, completing six half-centuries with a highest score of 84 not out, and taking 21 catches.

Bairstow became a Yorkshire first-team regular in the 2010 season. In sixteen first-class appearances, he scored 918 runs at 41.72 with eight fifties and a highest score of 81. He took 29 catches and completed five stumpings. His potential was recognised by selection for the England Performance Programme squad to tour Australia in 2010–11. In addition, he was a member of the England Lions team which toured the West Indies from January to March 2011. The Lions took part in the 2010–11 Regional Four Day Competition and Bairstow played in three of their seven matches. His best performance was an innings of 85 against Combined Campuses and Colleges, sharing a fifth wicket partnership of 134 with Jimmy Adams.

Bairstow became Yorkshire's first-choice wicket-keeper in the 2011 season and was awarded his county cap. He began the season well and scored 205, his maiden first-class century, against Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge. Playing in fifteen matches, he scored 1,213 runs in the season at 48.52 with three centuries, and was the only Yorkshire batter to score 1,000 runs. He also took 47 catches.

Bairstow was chosen as the Cricket Writers' Club Young Cricketer of the Year for 2011. He is the ninth of thirteen Yorkshire players who have won this award; his predecessors included Fred Trueman, Geoffrey Boycott, and Bairstow's team-mate Adil Rashid.

Yorkshire were in Division One of the County Championship when Bairstow made his debut in 2009. In 2011, they were relegated to Division Two but, with a new team being built under coach Jason Gillespie, they were re-promoted in 2012 as runners-up to Derbyshire. Bairstow played in nine Division Two matches and scored 588 runs with three centuries.Playfair Cricket Annual 2013, pp. 192–196. Yorkshire were runners-up to Durham in the 2013 Division One season, Bairstow playing in eight matches. He had a good season as a wicket-keeper, taking 27 catches but was less successful with the bat and scored only one century.Playfair Cricket Annual 2014, pp. 197–201. Yorkshire then relived their past glories for the next two seasons winning back-to-back County Championship titles, taking their all-time tally to a record 32. In 2014, Bairstow with 38 catches and four stumpings had a good season as wicket-keeper. He scored 647 runs in his thirteen matches, with a highest score of 161 not out against Sussex at Hove, although that was his sole championship century.Playfair Cricket Annual 2015, pp. 188–193.

Bairstow had an outstanding season in 2015 as Yorkshire retained the title. He played in only nine championship matches but he scored 1,108 runs at the very high average of 92.33 with five centuries and five half-centuries in his fifteen innings. His highest score was 219 not out against Durham at the Riverside Ground in Chester-le-Street. Yorkshire batted first in this match and were struggling at 191/6 when Bairstow was joined by Tim Bresnan. Batting well into the second day, they added an unbeaten 366 and broke the club record for a seventh wicket partnership, Bresnan scoring 169 not out. Yorkshire went on to win the match by an innings and 47 runs.Playfair Cricket Annual 2016, pp. 198–204.

Bairstow's performances in 2015 resulted in him being named as one of the five Wisden Cricketers of the Year in the Almanacks 2016 edition. Simon Wilde in his dedication began by describing Bairstow as a good man in a crisis and pointed out that all five of his 2015 championship centuries "were carved from adversity" because, as in the Durham match, Yorkshire were struggling until Bairstow came in.

Having become a regular member of England squads, Bairstow signed a central contract with the national team which has meant him making only occasional appearances for Yorkshire. He played in 88 first-class matches for the club from June 2009 to May 2016, but has appeared in only nine since then until May 2023. In Twenty20, he played in 63 from June 2010 to August 2016, but was then unavailable until June 2021; he has played in five matches between then and May 2023. In Yorkshire's List A matches, he played in 44 from July 2009 to May 2017, but in none since then. In one of his last List A matches for the club, Bairstow scored a career-best 174 from 113 deliveries as Yorkshire defeated Durham by six wickets at Headingley on 3 May 2017. Durham had scored 335/5 and Yorkshire's 339/4 was their highest ever successful run chase in a List A match.

In March 2025, Bairstow was named as Yorkshire's red-ball captain.

ODI/T20I Debuts On the strength of his performances in 2011, Bairstow was included in the England squads for both One Day Internationals (ODI) and Twenty20 Internationals (T20I). In August, he travelled to Dublin with England's ODI squad for a match against Ireland, but did not play. He made his ODI debut against India on 16 September, and then his T20I debut against West Indies on 23 September.

Playing as a specialist batter in England's final ODI against India, Bairstow scored an unbeaten 41 off just 21 balls to help England reach a Duckworth-Lewis adjusted total. His innings included three sixes, the first off just the fifth ball he faced, and he was named Man of the Match.

On his T20I debut, Bairstow had competition for the role of wicket-keeper as both Jos Buttler and Craig Kieswetter were in the team. Kieswetter "took the gloves", so Bairstow and Buttler played as specialist batters. However, neither of them did bat because Kieswetter and Alex Hales won the match with an unbeaten first wicket partnership of 128, after West Indies were dismissed for 125. There was a second T201 two days later and West Indies won by 25 runs, the series ending as a 1–1 draw. They scored 113/5 and then dismissed England for 88. Bairstow was England's fifth batter and he was bowled by Garey Mathurin for four.

In 2011–12, Bairstow visited India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) as part of various England teams. He played for England in five ODIs and one T20I against India in October. He then joined England Lions in January 2012 for seven matches against Bangladesh A and five against Sri Lanka A. He rejoined England in February 2012 for three T20Is against Pakistan in the UAE.

Bairstow completed his first ODI century in a match against West Indies at Old Trafford in September 2017. He opened the innings for England, after West Indies had totalled 204/9, and scored 100 not out as he led England to a seven-wicket victory.

World Cup tournaments

At the end of the 2012 season, Bairstow was included in the England squad for the 2012 ICC World Twenty20 in Sri Lanka. He appeared in all five of the matches that the team played but without success, his highest score being 18. England reached the Super 8 (quarter-final) stage where they lost to eventual champions West Indies.

He was left out of England's squads for the 2014 and 2016 ICC World Twenty20s, but he played in the 2021 and 2024 editions. He missed the 2022 tournament, which England won, because of a broken leg. In May 2024, he was named in England's squad for the 2024 ICC Men's T20 World Cup tournament.

Bairstow also missed the 2015 Cricket World Cup but took part in the 2019 and 2023 editions. He was a member of England's winning team in 2019, playing in the final against New Zealand at Lord's. This was a tied match which was decided by means of a super over. New Zealand batted first and scored 241/8. In reply, England were all out for 241. Bairstow opened the innings with Jason Roy and was the third man out, having scored 36, at 71/3. The super over was also a tie, 15 apiece, but England won by virtue of having scored more boundaries.

Test cricket Debut Following a successful start to the 2012 season, scoring two centuries for Yorkshire, Bairstow was named in the England squad for the first Test match against West Indies at Lord's in May. He played in the match, his debut in Test cricket, and was presented with his England cap by close family friend Geoffrey Boycott. England won the three-match series 2–0. Matt Prior was England's established wicket-keeper so Bairstow was selected as a specialist batter. He played in all three matches but could only score 38 runs in his four innings. South Africa toured England from July to September and also played a three-match Test series. Bairstow was left out of the England team for the first two Tests as the selectors tried other options. This series did not go well for England as South Africa were a very strong team. Bairstow continued to play well for Yorkshire and England recalled him for the third Test at Lord's.