ANDREW Hodd is hoping he can benefit from the security of a prolonged run of first-team cricket with Yorkshire following Jonny Bairstow's call-up to the England Test team.

Bairstow has just finished the 15th Test match of his career and first since last January, with England beating Australia in the third Ashes clash at Edgbaston.

It has meant that Hodd has taken up wicketkeeping duties for the last week and a bit, including the final NatWest T20 Blast match and the first five fixtures in the Royal London One-day Cup.

Considering Bairstow played in England's last two limited overs internationals against New Zealand in late June and impressed, it looks likely his county appearances for the rest of the summer will be limited.

Hodd played in Yorkshire's first three LV= County Championship matches of the season with Bairstow on back-up Test duty in the Caribbean, and he is relishing the opportunity of stepping in again during the final two months of 2015 to add to his total of four appearances.

"For me, coming from the second team into the firsts, I'd like to bring a bit of energy if I can," said the ex-Sussex man.

"I really enjoy it, and I'm over the moon Jonny has been called up both for him, because you can't just churn out scores like that and not get picked, but it also gives me a new lease of life.

"It can be a long season otherwise. I'm really excited, and hopefully I can bring some energy to the party.

"Hopefully I can go all right and not get injured. But it is nice when you know you have a run of games.

"My season usually starts with four or five games, then Jonny – or previously Matt Prior – comes back from England.

"You know that unless you absolutely gun it, then you're going to get replaced, and it's hard to do that in April and May. It is nice to know I've got some games for hopefully a long time if Jonny plays like he can.

Although Yorkshire have lost Bairstow's batting capabilities, they have gained Gary Ballance's services after his omission from the Test team and Hodd matches up with the 25-year-old's ability behind the stumps.

"I'm never ever going to do what Jonny can do, and if you look at it like that, then it's amazingly big boots to fill," added Hodd.

"I'm not really a like-for-like replacement because Jonny is an out-and-out top order batsman.

"Obviously Gaz has come down from England, so in that respect we haven't lost a batter. We've had one of the best batsmen in the world come into our squad and that's great.

"Hopefully I can just do what I can with the gloves and contribute lower down the order."