Adelaide: England’s Jonny Bairstow received an emotional gift of his late father’s wicket-keeping gloves from an Australian fan at the second Ashes Test here. He took possession of them before the start of the third day’s play at the Adelaide Oval here Monday and said it was a ‘fantastic gesture’. His dad, David, a former England Test wicket-keeper, took his own life when his son was eight.
“I’ve had them for 39 years. My mom and dad took me to an Adelaide shopping centre and the English cricket team were there to meet,” fan Andrew Johns told ABC radio. “They had a little quiz – they asked who the reserve wicket-keeper was for England and I shot my hand up, and said David Bairstow’s and got the gloves which he signed. I’ve had them sitting in a box for the last 39 years.”
Johns said he made contact with Jonny Bairstow and arranged to meet him at the Adelaide Oval. “I came in, I brought the gloves with me and sent him a message saying: ‘I’m here’,” Jones recounted. “He came out two minutes later, and we had a good half-an-hour together which was wonderful. He was quite emotional to receive the gloves. It was really lovely.”
Bairstow said the ‘fantastic gesture’ meant a lot to him. “It’s something that is always very special. I’ve been fortunate enough to go all over the world, and all over the world people have some fond stories of dad,” he told the broadcaster.
Agence France-Presse
