Bell Century Guides England to Ageas Bowl ODI Victory

Ian Bell has now hit three hundreds in his last three games at The Ageas Bowl

NatWest Series ODI match report

England v West Indies
NatWest One Day International Series
Saturday 16 June 2012
The Ageas Bowl

Summary: England beat West Indies by 114 runs (D/L)
England: 288-6
West Indies: 172ao (33.4 / 48 ovs)
Scorecard
England Team
Cook, Bell, Trott, Bopara, Morgan, Kieswetter, Bresnan, Broad, Swann, Finn, Anderson
West Indies Team
Smith, Simmons, DM Bravo, Pollard, DJ Bravo, Ramdin, Russell, Sammy, Rampaul, Narine

England’s opening batsman Ian Bell led his team to a 114 run victory with his second century in One Day Internationals... and he made both of them at The Ageas Bowl. Add to this his 119 not out in Southampton’s first Test Match last summer and his 104 for Warwickshire in the Championship the year before, there is no doubt that Bell must have developed a huge affection for the ground.

When Bell made his first ODI ton against India in 2007 his score was 126 not out from an England total of 288. Five years later he made another 126 out of 288 but this time lost his wicket when he attempted to sweep Dwayne Bravo but instead lobbed the ball up to give wicketkeeper Denesh Ramdin an easy catch. To add to the statisticians’ delight, in both games England’s winning margin was more than a hundred runs.

This means that Ian Bell now ranks first and second in the list of One Day International centuries at The Ageas Bowl, England teammate Eoin Morgan the only other man with two to his name. Bell still falls some way behind the highest ever One Day score at the ground however; the 167 not out made by Sean Ervine off 140 balls in a 2009 Friends Provident Trophy game against Ireland.

Click here for the sights and sounds of the Ageas Bowl ODI
including audio reaction from Bell and captain, Alastair Cook

Bell had to start his innings cautiously after the loss of Alastair Cook for a duck in the first over but shook off his shackles with style in the sixth when he hit the unfortunate Andre Russell for a six and three fours. His 117-ball innings included 13 boundaries, but it was the sheer variety of shots that most impressed; crisp cuts, positive drives, a swivel pull and an exquisite reverse paddle that took him to 70 all stick in the mind. It is surely one of the most accomplished innings The Ageas Bowl has seen from anyone in an England shirt.

In 2007 Bell shared the plaudits with fellow centurion Cook and his Test hundred was overshadowed by Hampshire born Chris Tremlett taking six wickets in Sri Lanka’s first innings. This time out no other performance from either side came close in the rain affected game, although of course there were valuable contributions which kept the 14,000-strong crowd enthralled.

Although England’s second highest scorer was Jonathan Trott with 42, Craig Kieswetter, who was on 10 when Bell was dismissed, took the opportunity to sparkle. Accompanied through the last overs of the innings by Stuart Broad, he made a run-a-ball 38 including a cross batted boundary off Ravi Rampaul and the full gamut of drives, jabs and pulls. England finished on 288 for 6, giving the West Indies plenty to chase.

Smith-ODI-WestIndies-England-AgeasBowl-OZee-1-410 Even with Chris Gayle injured and Darren Bravo incapacitated by a groin strain they weren’t going to die wondering. Dwayne Smith [pictured left] came out all guns blazing and by the end of the compulsory powerplay the West Indies were 59 for 1 – ten runs ahead of England’s total at the same point. Stephen Finn’s third over in particular was punished in a mirror image of Bell’s thrashing of Russell. With Smith there was less finesse but more raw power, including a six which scattered the crowd in Block E.

It couldn’t last; there was one attempted hook too many and Smith fell to Bresnan for a 44-ball 56 in the first over of the bowling powerplay. It was the start of a collapse with four wickets falling for 32 runs and when a heavy shower set in after 23 overs the visitors were 127 for 5, 43 runs behind on Duckworth Lewis.

The West Indies’ luck did not change after the rain. Russell slipped completing his first run and struggled to bat with an injured shoulder and when Darren Bravo came out at nine he was clearly hobbling. The last five wickets fell for 45 runs, Tim Bresnan finishing with four wickets.

The Ageas Bowl also hosts England's One Day International against South Africa on the 28 August 2012. Tickets are still available for this match.