ANDREW Bairstow took some ribbing from his team-mates last Sunday.

The Pudsey Congs left-hander scored 34 runs in the final over of their comprehensive NatWest Club T20 regional final victory at Chester-le-Street.

But he was chided for not getting six sixes in an over after reverse sweeping the first delivery for a mere four.

Bairstow said: “I got some stick for that, but I have never gone into an over thinking I can hit six sixes.

“My aim off the first ball was to get a boundary, whether that was a four or a six, and the balls after that just fell right for me, mostly to the leg-side with a slog-sweep or a pull.”

Bairstow’s 53 not out came off just 16 balls, and included six sixes and three fours, while opener Callum Geldart hammered 111 from 62 deliveries (four sixes, 15 fours) and skipper Gareth Phillips made 55 in just 23 balls (three sixes, seven fours).

Congs finished on 250-5 before restricting Chester-le-Street to 153-7 to book their place at finals day at the SWALEC Stadium in Cardiff on Tuesday, September 1, which will be covered by Sky Sports.

Congs will meet Exmouth at 11.15am, having had their travel and accommodation paid for by the ECB and been their guests at the previous day’s one-day international between England and Australia, which is at the same ground, meaning that Bairstow can watch younger brother Jonny, who has forced his way back into the national team.

Bairstow senior said of last weekend: “Callum and Adam Patel got us started, and Gareth continued it. Callum is very talented and, although it is a difficult question to answer, he could be playing at a higher level if he wanted to.

“It was a very good pitch and then James Pearson did well with the ball for us, followed by Nick Lindley and Josh Holling, who’s a young lad enjoying his cricket.

“We have achieved success with pace on and pace off, and Chester-le-Street had 14 or 15 dot balls in their innings, which is like chasing a big target, but having four overs less to do it.

“The changing room was buzzing afterwards with the lads looking forward to the prospect of playing in front of the TV cameras.

“I have been lucky enough to have been on Sky Sports before, but for some of the other lads it might be their only chance, even though it is only a highlights package.”

Looking forward to when the JCT600 Bradford League will have ECB Premier League status, he added: “The league should think about putting the twenty20 competition into the calendar in the same way that they do with the Priestley Cup, and make a bigger thing of it with coloured clothing.” Sixth-placed Congs host fifth-placed New Farnley tomorrow in Division One, while leaders Pudsey St Lawrence are at Bradford & Bingley and second-placed Woodlands are at fourth-from-bottom Undercliffe.

Bairstow said: “It’s tight but it is between St Lawrence and Woodlands, and Saints are ten points ahead.”

“It is also tight at the bottom, and Farsley v Saltaire and Lightcliffe v East Bierley are massive games.”

It is a double weekend in Division Two, and the main match is Scholes (currently second) at Bowling Old Lane (fourth) on Sunday.