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Ian Bell’s made larger steps towards forcing us into an opinion before now. Yesterday’s 84 not out against Bangladesh was more of a shuffle, but we like that he got the job done – because that is, after all, the whole point.
Number three is a funny spot in one-day cricket. Earlier this week, we wrote that it was the worst spot for Kevin Pietersen. For exactly the same reasons, it’s probably the best slot for Ian Bell. That doesn’t mean we think Ian Bell’s a better batsman, because we don’t. We just think they have different styles of play and the formulaic nature of one-day cricket means they’re suited to different parts of the innings.
We feel a bit wobbly after that outpouring of opinion. That’s enough for one year. We’re going to have to eat boiled potatoes and listen to XFM for the next few months now in a non-committal bland-land where all anyone says is ‘don’t know’ and ‘not bothered either way’.
I’m not sure whether I agree with your opinions or not KC.
Not sure I can even be bothered to think it through.
Bell’s come of age, now scoring hundreds that matter in tests and no reason why he can’t translate it to no.3 in ODIs. He’s a little rodent but purrs like a cat when on form. Shame it was against Banga again though.
The most truly appalling sentence in the whole of yesterday’s TMS commentary was from Paul Nixon after some chat about how ripped Ian Bell is looking at present:
“Belly has been training with cage fighters”
Christ on a bike KC, admit it. You LOVE him.
That Bell is an injury prone fellow if you ask me.
No-one can stand the weight of King Cricket’s admiration. The metatarsals just won’t cope.
It’s time to panic, England are now collapsing due to Bell’s injury.
We’re lost without him!!
What will KC write if Bell goes out on one leg and wins the game?
Don’t want to make rash promises, but heroic monopeds warrant an opinion.
He should come out in a full cast Colin Cowdrey style. That would surely get a note in wisden.
He was not out again. 2 in a row
Daisy is convinced that England would have won the game had the unidexter Bell ended up on strike.