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    Bell booked in for a career

    By Will 3 years ago, at the start of June Leave a comment on this post

    Ian Bell has been in England’s wing for years it seems - four, to be precise - and has had praise lavished upon him by all who coached and watched him. And today, he made his first Test century without somuchas breaking a sweat. Given the attack he was facing, his celebration was more Atherton than Slater - but comparisons between him and Atherton have been common in the past week or so, and it’s not hard to see why. They’re pretty similar in their textbook techniques, and both are calm at the crease. If you say “Mike Atherton” to most cricket fans, they’ll say “Dogged,” “Amazing concentration,” or “Jo’berg.” But it was only towards the latter period of his career that his shots became limited. He was one of my first cricketing heroes, as I watched him almost from his first Test - and his off-drives and, in particular, leg-glances were always exquisite.

    Bell seems similar, but a lot stronger square of the wicket - pretty fierce through point too. Andrew Miller makes mention of Bell’s class, something many observers might feel sheepish about discussing given the opposition. But, as TMS were saying, the runs still have to be scored whatever the bowling’s like: class is class, they felt, and this article seems to agree.

    To score your first Test century against Bangladesh may devalue the experience a fraction, and Bell’s understated celebrations were considerably more restrained than Trescothick’s cartwheels, who now has three Bangla hundreds to his name. But Bell is at least in good company. Among his international contemporaries, West Indies’ Ramnaresh Sarwan and South Africa’s Jacques Rudolph both made their first hundreds against Bangladesh, and to judge by his demeanour at the crease, Bell has the technique and temperament to be better than either.

    The article also suggest that Pietersen’s time is not now - this is Bell’s, and Pietersen must wait. I’m so confused about the Pietersen/Bell issue that I can’t comment any more. Who’d be a selector?

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    5 Responses to “Bell booked in for a career”

  • Innocent Abroad wrote:
    June 5th, 2005 at 7.30 am

    As the Cricinfo article you quote goes on to say, he has an unearthly Test average of 294 - more tellingly, the Aussies have precisely nowt to say about him because they’re not going to see hide nor hair of him before the First Test and quite right too.

    I expect Pietersen to play at some point in the series - he’s the next cab off the rank - in consequence of injury or the Aussies working someone out - but, if the latter, I doubt it will be Bell.

    Off topic, what price Giles and Batty at the Oval?

  • Will wrote:
    June 5th, 2005 at 10.47 am

    I shudder at the thought of both Giles and Batty playing together :) They’re not very good spinners individually and, having never bowled together, I dread to think what Hayden and Gilchrist would do to them

  • rustam wrote:
    June 5th, 2005 at 12.05 pm

    bell will play in the ashes … period.

  • bradwan wrote:
    June 6th, 2005 at 10.07 am

    I would expect Pietersen to play at some stage. As will Tremlett as there is no way all the seamers will stay fit all summer.

    Giles and Batty aren’t exactly Bedi and Venkat but does they need to be? Vettori proves that a decent finger spinner can take aussie wickets.

    This England side remind me of the mid 1990s South Africans. Good pace attack (Harmison / Donald), solid batting, pragmatic spinner who can bat a bit (Symcox / Giles), decent all rounder (McMillan / Flintoff), good at home, struggle a bit on the subcontinent. I know times have changed and the Aussies are arguably even stronger now than they were then but a solid SA gave them a good game them and there is no reason why England with a little luck (an important toss here, an injured aussie bowler there) can’t be as competitive as they were.

  • Will wrote:
    June 10th, 2005 at 11.45 am

    Very good point, bradwan - good comparison. SA were, I felt, especially strong with McMillan in the side. Hard hitter and very useful seamer.

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