Recalled Bell hits timely ton ahead of Bangladesh series
Published:Ian Bell has modified his one-day game to try to make the most of his England recall for the forthcoming series with Bangladesh.
The Warwickshire batsman could make his first limited overs appearance at full level for his country in 20 months in the opening game at Trent Bridge on Thursday, and he is 7/4 to score 50.
Bell made his last limited-overs appearance for the senior side against India in Bangalore in November 2008, but with Kevin Pietersen injured, he has been named in the squad to face Bangladesh, who are 12/1 to win the series.
The 28-year-old Bell is 4/1 to be the top scoring England batsman for the series, and his recent form suggests that he could be worth backing at this tempting price.
Bell warmed up in style with a sparkling 158 off 143 balls when he led England Lions to a thrilling tie with India A at New Road in the Triangular Series.
England national selector Geoff Miller and fellow selector James Whitaker watched Bell in action against India, and the batsman’s hard work seems to be paying dividends.
Bell said: “The consistency probably wasn’t there, but there was a bit of adjusting and a few things I needed to improve on as well as consistency.
“It was about working out areas to score boundaries, and to try to add a few big shots into my other style of cricket. I’ve tried to have a bit of an all-round game and so far, so good.”
Who do you think will be England’s big hitter in this series? Andrew Strauss is the 5/2 favourite to be their leading runscorer. See the full Top Series Batsman market.
