The year where Jonny Bairstow came of age

It has been quite a year for Jonny Bairstow: averaging over 90 in Yorkshire's County Championship title win last season, a return to the England Test team during the Ashes series win, a maiden Test century against South Africa and being named as one of five Wisden Cricketers of the Year.

At 26 years of age, it feels as if this is his time.

Bairstow is often portrayed as the 'nearly man' of English cricket. He is regarded as a good, solid County player but not quite cut out for the rough and tumble of the international game. Many English batsmen have been labelled as such; Graeme Hick and Mark Ramprakash spring immediately to mind who failed to have the Test careers their County performances promised.

The reasons for players failing to fulfil their promise at the highest level are many and varied. Some cannot handle the mental side of the game, allowing the pressure and expectation to get the better of them. Others have technical failings that they simply cannot rectify, whilst some suffer simply from sheer bad luck.

When Bairstow was dropped after the fateful 2013-14 Ashes whitewash in Australia, where he replaced Matt Prior behind the stumps for the Tests in Melbourne and Sydney, his main failings were technical, especially against pace, but some also thought he may not have the mental fortitude to deal with international cricket.

It was the third time he had been dropped since his debut in 2012 and despite glimpses of form, particularly with a brilliant 95 at Lord's against South Africa, he had not shown much consistency.

Inconsistent or not, he had been treated harshly. Dropped as a 22-year-old after just three Tests and then later dropped after two Tests against a rampant Mitchell Johnson after the series had been surrendered - it's hardly treatment to make him feel wanted.

The 2014 County season was make or break for Bairstow. Going back to Yorkshire, he resolved to play with more freedom. The doubts over his ability to face quick and hostile short bowling resulted in a new batting technique: more upright with bat raised in the mould of a baseball player. He also took over the gloves full-time for Yorkshire.

In their County Championship win that year, Bairstow averaged 46. Not an average to turn the England selectors heads, especially as Jos Buttler had taken the gloves from Matt Prior and done well with the bat, but important nonetheless to give confidence in a new technique and modus operandi. It also proved to himself he was mentally resilient and still a player to be reckoned with.

Bairstow had always been a high class County batsman. He averages over 50 in first-class cricket for Yorkshire and since 2012 has been the pre-eminent English batsman in the County game. English domestic cricket is not always regarded as a good barometer for the qualities needed at Test level as there is little real pace or mystery spin but it has its plus points. Consistent outputs such as Bairstow's should not be ignored.

The confidence gained in 2014 resulted in a stellar County season last year, with five hundreds and as many half-centuries to Bairstow's name and a total of 1,108 runs at an average of 92 from just nine Championship games. He showed he can also play 50-over cricket when he was called up for the rested Buttler in a One-Day International against New Zealand, scoring a series-winning 83 not out. He was soon back in the Test side, recalled for the third Ashes Test.

Decent, but unspectacular, returns against Australia and against Pakistan in the UAE later in the year, when he showed the most application and fight of all England's middle order players, meant Bairstow kept his place on the tour of South Africa.

A maiden hundred in the Cape Town Test in a spellbinding partnership of 399 with Ben Stokes was long overdue, coming in his 22nd match, and also one of the most emotional. Upon reaching his century, Bairstow looked to the heavens, obviously thinking of his father, David, who took his own life when Jonny was just eight. He would have been so proud.

Despite his improvement with the bat, he still needs to convert more starts in to significant innings. His glovework remains a work in progress. With the sudden and extremely sad retirement of James Taylor, it is likely Buttler will retake the gloves against Sri Lanka and Bairstow will continue his journey as a batsman only.

That journey has been recognised this week by Wisden after a year where Bairstow came of age. He has proved he has the style countless times in County cricket but he is now beginning to show he has the substance for the international game. He will have to improve on his Test average of 32 but he looks primed to do just that.

It has been quite a year for the Yorkshireman. More of the same please, Jonny.