Bell eyes Ashes contest

Ian Bell © Getty Images

Ian Bell became the first Englishman in 16 years to score hundreds in three consecutive Tests against Pakistan at Headingley.

Warwickshire batsman Bell followed up unbeaten centuries in the opening matches of the npower series with 119, emulating Graham Gooch’s rich run of form in 1990 when New Zealand and India toured.

Ironically the 24-year-old is only featuring in the side due to Andrew Flintoff’s absence through injury.

Since being recalled as a temporary fill-in while all-rounder Flintoff regained fitness, he has put forward a compelling case to retain his place, adapting to the number six spot in stunning style.

Initially given just one match at Lord’s to impress, that was extended to the rest of the summer due to a recurrence of Flintoff’s ankle injury.

“Any chance to play for England, no matter where I was going to bat, meant I was desperate to do it and desperate to show people I can play at this level,” said Bell, after celebrating England’s eighth hundred of the series.

“I am desperate for every chance I have before Fred gets back to being fully fit. “I don’t know if I am in the best form of my life but I am enjoying it at the minute and it is going pretty well.

“My footwork is going just how I want it to and it is a matter of cashing in and churning out the runs.”

Ian Bell collects more runs © Getty Images

Despite being England’s top scorer in the away series in Pakistan last winter, Bell lost out in the selection equation at the start of the summer to Alastair Cook and Paul Collingwood.

Having spent the majority of his first-class career as a number three, it has been a surprisingly smooth transition to batting three places lower in the order.

“It is a little bit different, you obviously have more time when the guys go out to start with but I have tried to approach it similarly and fortunately I have gone out and played nicely,” Bell said.

“It helped that I was not involved against Sri Lanka at the start of the summer; I went away and made sure that the areas people thought I needed to be tougher in, like better body language, were the things I worked on.

“Body language does represent quite a lot and I have tried to work quite a bit on the way I walk out to bat.

“You can impose yourself on other sides with the way you do it, without being arrogant, you need to show the bowler you mean business.

“I have a bit more grit about me not to give my wicket away, I wanted to give it the best shot I had got.

“I was not thinking too far ahead, I was just thinking of one game and then after that one I wasn’t sure whether I was going to play at Old Trafford.”

Bell’s 209-ball innings took his run tally to 353 in four visits to the crease since returning to the team, the kind of return which will make him difficult to drop as the team head for the Ashes defence this winter.

“If anything when I get in a run like this I try to bat more in the nets,” said Bell. “That is a lesson I have learned from ex-players: when you are in good form make the most of it, do more practising and keep yourself in that form.”

Prior to his dismissal on Saturday, when leg-spinner Danish Kaneria spun one across him to strike off-stump, Bell’s only previous dismissal had been via a run-out at Lord’s.

He was within a whisker of suffering the same fate when, on 80, fellow centurion Kevin Pietersen drove fiercely back down the pitch and the ball crashed into the stumps at the non-striker’s end via bowler Umar Gul’s hand.

Television umpire Nigel Llong deliberated over several replays before adjudicating the diving Bell had made his ground.

“I was pretty confident I had got back, the one thing was my bat bounced in the air as it had gone in,” said Bell. “All of a sudden I realised that when we were waiting for the decision because I was definitely over the line and the longer it went on the more nerve-wracking it became.”

Pakistan closed on 202 for two, having shown a vast improvement from their displays at Old Trafford, where they lost by an innings.

Mohammad Yousuf, who contributed an unbeaten 91 in a third-wicket stand of 166, said: “We played very bad cricket there.

“Everybody was hurt and we will try hard tomorrow to get the lead covered.”