Bell plays lone hand as England toil

12 April 2012

Ian Bell's career-best 88 could not prevent England continuing their miserable one-day form in the opening match of the NatWest Series against Pakistan.

England were hoping to end a run of seven successive limited-overs defeats but despite Warwickshire batsman Bell's determined knock, the hosts were dismissed for a modest 202 in 49.2 overs after being put into bat with Jamie Dalrymple being the only other player to pass 20.

England made only one change to the line-up which lost by five wickets in Monday's Twenty20 international at Bristol, bringing in Surrey all-rounder Rikki Clarke for his first one-day international in two years as a replacement for Sussex's Michael Yardy.

But it was England's top order who were put under immediate pressure with Pakistan exploiting seamer-friendly conditions to reduce them to 51 for three with Mohammad Asif claiming three wickets in 26 balls.

Andrew Strauss was fortunate to survive when a Shoaib Akhtar delivery spun back onto his stumps after a defensive shot but failed to dislodge the bails. It took Asif to put him out of his misery when he skied an attempted pull shot to Shahid Afridi at square leg and Marcus Trescothick followed six overs later edging a wide delivery behind.

Perhaps the key wicket of England's demise was that of Kevin Pietersen, who suffered a first-ball duck on Monday and lasted only 11 balls this time before Asif claimed his third victim. Ruffled by a short delivery which hit him on the chest the previous ball, Pietersen was undone by a full-length ball which he edged behind to leave England once again in trouble and in danger of failing to reach a competitive total once again.

They had Bell to thank for preventing a complete capitulation during a determined 117-ball innings which eclipsed his previous best of 80 against Ireland in Belfast earlier this summer.

He put on a vital forth wicket stand of 47 with Paul Collingwood before the Durham all-rounder fell to Afridi's fourth ball, misreading the turn and being trapped leg before on the front foot, but Bell found a willing ally in Dalrymple as England threatened to post a competitive total after all.

But just when England needed to accelerate they suffered a collapse sparked by Bell being run out by a direct hit by Afridi at wide mid-on going for a quick single. Shoaib beat Dalrymple for pace with the next delivery and England lost three wickets for one run in only eight balls to leave last pair Darren Gough and Stuart Broad, who was making his one-day international debut, coming together at the crease on 173 for nine.

They added 29 priceless runs in five overs with veteran Gough, making his international comeback after a year on the sidelines, using the experience gained in 157 previous appearances to hit 18 off 16 balls.

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