ENGLAND Lions batting coach Graham Thorpe has admitted his delight at the rapid progression made by Yorkshire starlet Jonny Bairstow.

The 21-year-old had already caught the eye during the last two summers, earning a place in the ECB Performance Programme and the England Lions squads during the most recent winter.

But he has put his foot on the gas in terms of his development this summer, especially with the bat by scoring 749 runs from seven LV= County Championship matches at an average of 68.09.

He has undoubtedly been the highlight of a forgettable summer so far for the White Rose county.

And his last nine Championship innings have yielded an incredible 659 runs, including scores of 205 and 136.

Bairstow is third in the Division One run-scorers chart behind former international duo Marcus Trescothick of Somerset and Durham’s Dale Benkenstein.

The wicketkeeper-batsman, born in Bradford, was tipped to be playing international cricket within three years by Jacques Rudolph before he left Headingley last September.

And, with it looking certain that England’s one-day squad will take on a completely different look when it is announced ahead of the series against Sri Lanka later this month, Bairstow’s name has already been mentioned in dispatches.

Thorpe said: “Most people would be very pleased with the way that Bairtow’s developed over a short space of time. But he’s also maturing quickly too. He’s scored a double century and another hundred.

“We always look at character and talent, and he’s got the perfect sort of mix. In the early stages so far, he’s looking good.

“Very rare do you get a young person coming in and being able to dominate. When you look down a scorecard, they’re the ones that stand out, the ones who are able to hold an innings together.

“It’s been a very promising a start.”

As Thorpe, who spent time with Bairstow in Australia, the West Indies and at Derby for a Lions match against Sri Lanka last month, mentioned, it is not just talent that makes a top-level cricketer.

In fact, you will often hear coaches talking about how character and brains are more important than ability.

Formerly a prolific lefthanded batsman with Surrey and England, Thorpe continued: “He’s a tough competitor.

“His character is not in a bad place at all. He’s got a real healthy mix of confidence, but he’s a nice lad as well. He’s very respectful, but he’s got that real competitive edge on the field, which you want.”

The only question mark over Bairstow’s game seems to be his keeping.

The general consensus is that the player’s batting is ready to be unleashed on the international arena, but his glovework needs more time.

Thorpe, however, believes it is going in the right direction.

He added: “Obviously he kept in that Lions match (against Sri Lanka), and he would have learnt things. I haven’t seen him keep too much, but he looked extremely capable during that Lions match.”

And Thorpe admitted that he was delighted to see Adil Rashid star in Australia’s domestic Twenty20 competition over the winter.

Leg-spinner Rashid won the Big Bash with South Australia immediately before linking up with Thorpe and the Lions in the Caribbean in February.

Thorpe had a spell as assistant coach with the New South Wales Blues in the 2007/8 winter.

And he explained: “Going on the reputation of Australian cricket for years and years and years, any Englishman going over there and playing state cricket really has to have something about them.

“He was an overseas player, where performances really count. He should have really benefited from that experience.”