Ian Bell, The Stone Roses and some considerably large numbers

 
We’re not sure if Ian Bell is a fan of The Stone Roses, but ‘I Am The Resurrection’ - the unforgettable closing track of the Mancunians stunning 1989 debut album would be an apt signature tune for the England middle-order batsman.

When he was made the scapegoat after England folded for 51 against the West Indies in February 2009, a recall seemed a long way away. Especially when his eventual replacement (Owais Shah was given first go) Ravi Bopara then scored three successive Test hundreds.

But being dropped proved to be the making of Bell. Indeed, keeping up The Stone Roses references, his Second Coming has been mighty impressive and he has Kevin Pietersen to partly thank for it.

When Pietersen’s Achilles finally gave up the ghost, Bell was recalled for the Third Test of the 2009 Ashes at Edgbaston and hit a fifty. He hasn’t looked back since and in doing so has banished forever accusations that he only scored runs in low pressure situations.

During this time, Bell has produced some impressive numbers:

• 69.04 – Bell’s average in 19 Tests since his Edgbaston recall
• 72: Bell’s score in the 1st innings of the Ashes decider at The Oval in 2009 – a brave, dogged and important knock during which he had to overcome a barrage of hostile bowling from Mitchell Johnson
• 78: In unison with England’s regular firefighter Paul Collingwood, Bell batted most of the final day to earn England an unlikely draw with South Africa at Cape Town. This was the moment when Bell, who batted for just under five hours, showed that he could tough it out with the best of them.
• 91.46: Bell’s average in his last 15 Tests including and since he scored 140 against South Africa in the Boxing Day Test of 2009. Apparently, he had been close to being omitted before the match in favour of Luke Wright.
• 106.60: Bell’s average from the point at the tenth time of asking he finally scored a century without one of his colleagues doing the same. It was an important one too, as it turned a potentially embarrassing situation in Dhaka against Bangladesh into a commanding one for England.
• 115: At the 18th attempt, Bell finally scored a hundred against Australia in the 5th Test at Sydney. By that time he had proved beyond doubt his infinite class with three fifties in five prior innings in the series, but this hundred finally killed off ‘The Sherminator’ tag once and for all.
• 335: Bell’s jaw-dropping average in the current series with Sri Lanka after two unbeaten hundreds, one further unbeaten fifty and a crucial 52 in the first innings at Lord’s.

Where next?

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Comments

[The Full Toss]

Ian Bell can probably sing better than Ian Brown too!

[The Reverse Sweep]

I'll have to dsagree there Full Toss. Reading 96 was but an aberration - albeit a monumental one!

[Reverse Swept Radio]

I think Bell's turnaround is a story of temperament finally catching up with technique. There was never any question over whether he had the game for the highest level; just whether he had the head.

I reckon he'll have a great series against India.

[The Reverse Sweep]

I think you are right Andrew. Bell has always had the technique and the shots, but just lacked in temperament and concentration. Now he has those in abundence, he is the complete batsman