It's nice to finish a long summer with some runs: Jonny Bairstow

English opener Jonny Bairstow who played a fantastic knock of 141* (114) in the fifth and final ODI of the series at Potchefstroom as England rode to a spectacular win to take the series 4 nil. After the game, Man of the Match Jonny Bairstow was pleased with his form, he spoke at length about England’s batting strength for the Ashes, advantages of having all rounders, the process and more.

Bairstow was the top run scorer in the series with 302 runs in five games which included two centuries. He scored his maiden ODI hundred in the first ODI of the series and by the end of it already has a couple to his name. The ODI series also marked the end of English summer and the next time they take the field will be in Australia for the Ashes in November.

Pretty pleased

“I’m pretty pleased,” he said. “It’s nice to finish a long summer with some runs and head into the winter with confidence. You wait a long time for a first hundred and when it comes you want to capitalise.”

“If selection doesn’t go your way, you have to bide your time and take the chance when it comes,” added Bairstow whose place in the side was under the scanner before the series.

While a lot of pundits have termed England‘s Test batting weak leading into the Ashes 2017-18, the wicketkeeper-batsman pointed that they have a lot of first-class experience in the ranks and is confident the team will do well.

“If you actually look at it there’s 50 first-class hundreds at six, seven, eight and nine so I don’t know if you’re classing that as weak,” he said. “Do please let me know another side in the world that’s got 50 first-class hundreds in those three or four batting positions. That’s been a strength of ours over a period of time and will continue to be,” Bairstow added.

He also spoke about importance of all rounders and what a difference they make to any side. “We’re very fortunate to have all-rounders in those positions, whether that be in one-day cricket, T20 cricket or Test cricket.”