< 1 minute readThat’s the caption to this picture on Cricinfo. We’d rather this were a slip from a Cricinfo staff member, but we suspect it was done knowingly. Thanks to Sam for pointing this out, although we’re increasingly concerned by the frequency with which he sends Ian Bell pictures to us.
Continue readingTag: Ian Bell
The worst batsman in England
< 1 minute readThat Ian Bell, eh? Rubbish, isn’t he? First he cashes in on a flat deck at Taunton and expects everybody to be all impressed. Then he follows it up with another hundred against the same opponents, as if that’s somehow proving something. You can’t play against Somerset every week, Ian.
Continue readingIan Bell hits a big hundred
< 1 minute readThat title’s tongue-in-cheek. You know that, right? You do now. Ian Bell hit 172 for Warwickshire as part of his bid to return to the England side. It’s a handy start and we’d be tempted to get ever-so-slightly agitated about it, if it weren’t for the fact that he scored
Continue readingAn Ian Bell interview
< 1 minute readIan Bell’s given a monumentally unenlightening interview to the BBC. Summary: ‘I want to play for England’. Towards the end, he says: “I’ve got to make sure that I’m undroppable over the second part of my England career.” You’re undroppable now, Ian. It’s just you’re undroppable in the same way
Continue readingWhich England batsman should get dropped
< 1 minute readAlastair Cook Why Because he looks like the kind of person who eats sandwiches with a knife and fork. Why not Because Rob Key’s on the wrong continent. Ian Bell Why Because if international cricket were a cartoon where everyone were an animal, Ian Bell would be the excitable squirrel
Continue readingHate Ian Bell?
< 1 minute readA lot of people hate Ian Bell – England supporters mostly. Given a choice between his playing crap and getting dropped or his playing well and averaging 55, a lot of people would choose the first option. We’d choose the second. For all his flaws, 26 year-olds who can average
Continue readingWhat could be better than Ian Bell’s 199?
< 1 minute readIan Bell’s innings of 199 against South Africa was better than waking up on a Saturday thinking it’s a Monday and then realising the truth. It was better than hearing the phone ring and picking it up only to hear a dialling tone. It was even better than being asleep.
Continue readingThe state of England’s batting
< 1 minute readWinning a Test by an innings is not to be sniffed at. What exactly would you expect to smell? England didn’t exactly dominate the series like they dominated this last match though. Overall, the team looks okay, but there are quite a few flaws, the most glaring of which is
Continue readingEngland’s middle order shows signs of improvement
< 1 minute readWe all know how important it is to look to the positives. England’s players and coaches have taught us this for years now. Ian Bell batted at five and made a three-ball duck. Paul Collingwood batted at six and made a four-ball duck. England’s middle order batsmen are making tangible
Continue readingIan Bell can’t see it out
< 1 minute readBoth Ian Bell and Matt Prior withstood the Sri Lankans for quite some time, but they couldn’t finish the job. Muttiah Muralitharan got both of them – with the new ball, no less. Bell had a good match, but if you’re the batsman in form, you need to influence proceedings.
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