Bairstow among new Yorkshire deals

Jonathan Bairstow has extended his stay at Yorkshire along with five others

Exciting Yorkshire wicketkeeper-batsman Jonathan Bairstow is one of six youngsters to sign contract extensions at Headingley Carnegie.

Twenty-year-old Bairstow averaged over 45 in 19 LV= County Championship innings this summer. He made his first class-debut against Somerset in June and struck 82 not out in the second innings.

Bairstow, son of former Yorkshire wicketkeeper David, bettered this with an unbeaten 84 against Nottinghamshire in July.

Like Bairstow, Oliver Hannon-Dalby (20), James Lee (20) and Gary Ballance (19) have extended their deals until the end of 2012. Ben Sanderson (20) and Lee Hodgson (23) have penned one-year extensions taking them to the climax of 2011.

The contract extensions come after a series of high profile departures, including retired duo Michael Vaughan and Deon Kruis plus released seamer Matthew Hoggard.

Meanwhile, 18-year-old opening batsman Joe Root has signed his first professional contract - a three-year deal.

Root, who is in the current England Under-19 set-up, made his first-team debut against Essex in Yorkshire’s final NatWest Pro40 game of the season.

“Yorkshire chief executive Stewart Regan said: “We are heading into a new era after losing a number of senior players recently and therefore we felt it was essential to ensure that the undoubted talent that has emerged through our academy system in recent years is retained.

“These youngsters will form the future of Yorkshire cricket and we want to look after them. It is now over to them to return the compliment and perform to the best of their abilities on the pitch next season.”