Jonny Bairstow hopes to take another notable step in his cricketing career today by making his first appearance for England on his home ground at Headingley.

The York-based Yorkshire wicketkeeper-batsman is in the reckoning to play in today’s third and final one-day international against West Indies, over whom England hold an unassailable 2-0 series lead.

Bairstow, 22, is enjoying an impressive summer having already scored two centuries in the County Championship for the White Rose as well as making his first three Test appearances against the West Indians.

Not only would it be a landmark moment for Bairstow, pictured, if he played today, it will also provide Yorkshire with a boost after fellow Tyke Tim Bresnan, plus Graeme Swann and Stuart Broad were released from the squad earlier in the week in order to rest.

The ECB have come under pressure for the England management’s decision to rest three of their key players, with spectators having paid up to £65 per ticket.

“It would be a great opportunity for me to play in front of a home crowd,” said Bairstow, who has played in six previous one-day internationals but neither of the first two against Darren Sammy’s men at Southampton or The Oval during the last week.

“Any game you get the opportunity to play at Headingley, whether it be a Yorkshire game or an England game, is a great chance to put on a display for the people of Leeds.”

By his own admission Bairstow’s first foray into Test cricket did not go as well as he would have liked, with a top-score of only 18 in four innings after making his debut at Lord’s.

“To make my Test debut at Lord’s was a great moment for me, a very proud moment,” he said.

“To play in the rest of the series was pleasing, not necessarily doing as well as I’d have hoped. But that’s just one of those things.

“Nothing really changes. You still go about your business, working hard in the nets and hopefully that will come right. You can’t concentrate on the outcomes, all you can keep doing is working hard and hopefully come through.”

Bairstow immediately came under scrutiny having been struck on the body by Kemar Roach early in his first innings at Lord’s before getting a leading edge to mid-on off the same man at Trent Bridge, sparking fears he may have an issue with the short ball.

However, the man himself disagrees.

He added: “I only got out once to the short ball, so in my eyes there wasn’t anything there. It was just one ball, that was all it was.

“I don’t really take any notice of things like that. It wasn’t something that I was really bothered about.”

Meanwhile, Yorkshire go in search of their third Friends Life t20 win from four North Division matches tonight when they head to the Riverside to face Durham.

Andrew Gale is unlikely to play due to a hip injury, leaving off-spinner Azeem Rafiq on standby to captain the side.

If that happens, he will be the county’s youngest skipper in a competitive match at the age of 21.

Opener Gale has been in fine form during recent wins over Leicestershire and Derbyshire, but has suffered a muscle injury in training. He will be assessed this afternoon.