David Bairstow

David Leslie Bairstow (1 September 1951 – 5 January 1998) was an English cricketer, who played for Yorkshire and England as a wicket-keeper.[1] He also played football for his hometown club Bradford City.[2]

For the Canadian director, see David Bairstow (director).

David Bairstow
Personal information
Full nameDavid Leslie Bairstow
Born1 September 1951 (1951-09)
Horton, Bradford, Yorkshire, England
Died5 January 1998 (1998-01-06) (aged 46)
Marton-cum-Grafton, Yorkshire, England
NicknameBluey
BattingRight-hand bat
BowlingRight-arm medium
RoleWicket-keeper
RelationsJonny Bairstow
Andrew Bairstow
Career statistics
Competition Tests ODIs FC LA
Matches 4 21 459 429
Runs scored 125 206 13,961 5,439
Batting average 20.83 14.71 26.44 20.68
100s/50s -/1 -/- 10/73 1/19
Top score 59 23* 145 103*
Balls bowled - - 582 18
Wickets - - 9 –
Bowling average - - 34.22 –
5 wickets in innings - - - –
10 wickets in match - n/a - n/a
Best bowling - - 3/25 –
Catches/stumpings 12/1 17/4 961/138 411/36
Source: ESPNcricinfo, 28 July 2013

Early life and education

Born in Bradford, Yorkshire, Bairstow excelled at school in several sports, and he played football several times for Bradford City, but eventually he settled on cricket, and played his first county match against Gloucestershire in 1970 after taking an A-level at 6am in order to play.[3]

Career

He played for Yorkshire throughout his career, and captained the club from 1984 to 1986,[3] though this was a far from happy period.[4] Nicknamed "Bluey" on account of his red hair, influential for his aggression on the field and for his playing statistics. He was particularly well loved by the Yorkshire crowds for his ability to turn round limited over games by his late-order swinging of the bat. In 459 first-class cricket matches he scored 13,961 runs at an average of 26.44 with a highest score of 145. He snared 961 catches and 137 stumpings and perhaps stands second only to Jimmy Binks in the annals of Yorkshire wicket-keeping. He played 429 one day matches, scoring 5,439 runs at 20.68 with one century. Bairstow played for 21 seasons, three of them as club captain.[3] He was a popular figure with the Yorkshire crowds.

He played four Test matches for England,[3] though was usually behind first Bob Taylor and later Paul Downton in the selectors' minds. He had more opportunities in One Day Internationals on the strength of his batting in domestic cricket - he made ten first-class centuries - but consistently failed to break through, and never scored more than 23 in his twenty ODI innings.

He played for Griqualand West, during the winters of 1976 and 1977, appearing rather surprisingly as a seam bowler on two occasions and taking 3–82 against Transvaal B.[5]

Retirement and death

After retirement from playing in 1990, Bairstow became a popular radio commentator. However, he engaged in arguments with the Yorkshire management, and also suffered from depression. In late 1997, Bairstow took an overdose of tablets, and although he survived, a few weeks later he hanged himself at his home in Marton-cum-Grafton, Yorkshire.[6] The coroner in the case recorded an open verdict, saying that he was not convinced Bairstow had meant to kill himself, and that his actions may instead have been a "cry for help".[7] His wife, Janet, and children, Andy (22), Jonathan (8) and Becky, soon left Marton-cum-Grafton and moved to Dunnington.

Family

Bairstow had two sons, both of who went on to play cricket professionally. His son from his first marriage, Andrew, played first-class cricket fleetingly for Derbyshire. His son from his second marriage, Jonny, currently plays as wicket-keeper and batsman for both Yorkshire and England. Jonny's chosen squad number, 51, is a tribute to his father's birth year.

He was also related to lesser known footballer, Barrie Wright, who played left-back on many football teams in the UK and US

References
  1. "David Bairstow, England". ESPN cricinfo. Retrieved 14 April 2016.
  2. Hodgson, Derek (7 January 1998). "Obituary: David Bairstow". The Independent. Retrieved 16 September 2011.
  3. Bateman, Colin (1993). If The Cap Fits. Tony Williams Publications. p. 16. ISBN 1-869833-21-X.
  4. A History of Yorkshire CCC, Tony Woodhouse
  5. report of match viewed on 6 August 2006.
  6. Jon Culley (7 January 1998). "Cricket: Sporting world mourns the death of David Bairstow". The Independent.
  7. "Bairstow's 'cry for help'". The Daily Telegraph. 6 February 1998. Archived from the original on 12 March 2007. Retrieved 22 November 2019.
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