Bell ton in vain for Warwickshire

Craig Kieswetter's magnificent unbeaten century for Somerset cancelled out Ian Bell's hundred

Warwickshire’s Ian Bell continued his early-season bid to win back his England place with another century against Somerset, but it was in a lost cause as the visitors cantered to an eight-wicket win in the Friends Provident Trophy at Edgbaston.

In a second demolition job inside five days, Bell followed up his 172 in the LV= County Championship meeting at Taunton with a controlled innings of 108 from 123 balls in a total of 271 for nine.

But this was overhauled with four overs to spare as Craig Kieswetter matched Bell’s achievement by adding an unbeaten 138 to the 150 not out he scored when the two teams played out the high-scoring draw last week.

Although his first 50 included only three boundaries, he calmly kept his side on course and then accelerated to finish with 14 fours and three sixes from 131 balls.

After a brisk opening with Marcus Trescothick, who made 29, the match was poised when Warwickshire new boy Keith Barker had James Hildreth caught at mid-off for 20.

But Zander de Bruyn sensibly built a platform with Kieswetter and they went on to finish the job by putting on an unbroken stand of 188 in 29 overs.

De Bruyn’s 73 not out from 85 balls completed a fine all-round performance after he had blunted Bell’s impact by strangling Warwickshire in a mid-innings spell of 3-30 from 10 overs.

Having dominated the first two days of the championship clash, Bell carried on his superlative form by making his fourth one-day hundred.

A 54-ball half-century came in a stand of 101 with Jim Troughton but a more measured second fifty from 64 deliveries followed the loss of five wickets for 37.

De Bruyn was largely responsible for the sudden decline. Starting with the dismissal of Troughton, leg before for 53, the South African all-rounder also accounted for Tim Ambrose and Rikki Clarke.

When Redhill-born newcomer Steffan Piolet was lbw to Alfonso Thomas after managing one scoring stroke in 18 balls, Warwickshire were 159 for six before their second debutant, Barker, supported Bell in timely partnership of 70 in 13 overs.

Bell had hit 11 fours when he drove Thomas to De Bruyn at long-off and left-hander Barker, a former professional footballer with Blackburn and Rochdale, batted confidently until he was bowled by Peter Trego for 28.