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While the somewhat more brash members of this confident England team have been grabbing the headlines Ian Bell, England’s quiet man, has been busily preparing himself for the biggest test of his career so far – his first appearance against Australia, on Thursday at Lord’s.Bell has calmly – almost anonymously – gone about his business for Warwickshire and England this season, and tops his county’s Championship averages. The media have spent considerable time debating the side to face Australia, and further more time on Graham Thorpe and Kevin Pietersen – yet Bell barely got a mention in the press. Indeed, his captain Michael Vaughan suggested Bell’s place was cemented prior to the Bangladesh Test matches, a sentiment Bell himself didn’t subscribe to: “I felt I had a lot to [prove] against Bangladesh,” he told reporters during England’s media day in London.”Despite the form I had for my county, I still needed a bit against Bangladesh, especially with the amount of batting competition there is at the moment – which is getting stronger all the time.”He hasn’t missed the media glare which has shone on other members of the side, recently. “It was obviously quite nice, not having seen my name mentioned for a while – it’s been nice to be in that position, so I can just play my game,” he said. The excitement of his first Ashes series isn’t daunting him either: “I feel up for it and confident, and eager to see where I am in my game. When you play the best in the world, you really do see where you are in your game, and I’m really excited to be playing against these guys for the first time. I just want to get started.”Having had his talents and potential lauded for so many years, he is understandably pleased that the focus and pressure of expectation isn’t so intense. “At the start of the season, when places were up for grabs, I had to score as many runs as possible for Warwickshire,” he said. “And fortunately, with the way KP played in South Africa, a lot of the publicity and press were off me and I was able to go about scoring runs for Warwickshire: luckily I was able to do that.”Despite the achievement of making a Test hundred this summer already – an undefeated 162 against a lacklustre Bangladeshi team – Bell hasn’t played a four-day Championship match since June 15, almost five weeks ago. As befits his batting style, his response to this was calm and phlegmatic: “It does feel a long time ago since I last played a four day game,” he agreed. “Warwickshire have played a lot of one-day cricket, a lot of Twenty20 – but even on Twenty20 days, there is plenty of time to be spent practising. When you start at 5.30 in the afternoon, there’s a lot more you can do in the daytime before the game starts, so I’ve been trying to make the most of that.”While he is keen not to be labelled as a direct replacement for Graham Thorpe, he admitted to sharing similarities in their method of batting. “I’m not really a power-player, so I do see myself as being in the mould of Thorpe, really – and I will go about my batting in the same way he did.”England will hope Bell emulates Thorpe’s success against Australia and makes the No. 4 position his own this summer.

Andrew Strauss made a dream start with the bat for England in the Test series against New Zealand, and he will now have a chance to show what he can do in the middle order in one-day cricket, as England hope to finally get their NatWest Series underway against West Indies at Trent Bridge tomorrow.After a practice session at Trent Bridge this afternoon, Strauss, who scored a century on his Test debut at Lord’s, said he and the side were raring to get going: “There’s a good feeling in the camp, we’re excited and ready to go,” he said. “It’s going to be a very evenly matched series.”With Michael Vaughan likely to remain as Marcus Trescothick’s opening partner in the one-dayers, Strauss will have to adapt quickly if he is to fill to role played for so many years by Graham Thorpe, of providing stability in the middle order.”Experience counts for a hell of a lot in one-day cricket and the more you get into situations you haven’t encountered before the more you learn from it and develop your game,” said Strauss. “I feel comfortable with the role I’m trying to play for England. My role is going to be to try and bat for long periods – for the majority of the innings if possible.”Strauss continued, “When you are batting in the middle order in a one-day side then it is your responsibility to be there at the end and see the guys home. You don’t want to leave it to the guys at eight nine and 10.”

In the end, it was a disappointingly typical first day of a Bangladesh Testmatch. Bangladesh were bowled out for 173, after which South Africa eased to83 for 2, on course for an easy victory. But there was more to the day thanjust that.At one point, Bangladesh were more than just holding their own – they wereon top. Habibul Bashar and Javed Omar had added 83 runs for the secondwicket, and Bangladesh were headed towards 100 for the loss of just onewicket. The pitch offered no assistance to South Africa’s bowlers, and themomentum had been seized by Bangladesh.But then the floodgates opened at Chittagong. Omar and Bashar were outwithin minutes of each other, and the centre did not hold. Paul Adams bowledsuperbly to take 5 for 37, and Bangladesh stuttered to 173. Graeme Smith andHerschelle Gibbs lost their wickets displaying unnecessary aggression, butSouth Africa were still on top when the day wound down.Bangladesh’s familiar collapse in the afternoon had been preceded by bothgrim resolve and fiesty counter-attack, in equal measure, in the morning.Khaled Mahmud had opted to bat first on a flat, slow-paced pitch, and SouthAfrica had struck early. Mehrab Hossain flashed outside off to ShaunPollock, getting a regulation outside edge through to Mark Boucher (14 for1).But there wasn’t much in the pitch for the fast bowlers, and patience wasthe need of the hour. Bashar and Omar displayed that in spades, seeing off ahostile spell from Makhaya Ntini, who tested both batsmen with short-pitchedbowling. The variable bounce of the pitch made a few balls stay low and skidthrough, but Ntini actually got a few to snort up off a good length.Both batsmen played a compact game, letting many balls go past the offstump. Their circumspection was not carried to an extreme, though, and oncethey got their eye in, both batsmen played positively.Bashar’s driving square of the wicket and through cover was a delight. Hesingled out Charl Willoughby for special treatment, smacking him for fourfours in three overs before lunch. He began the post-lunch session with aclassy pull of Ntini, then drove Pollock to the cover boundary to bring uphis half-century, then pulled Ntini for four again.But the Bangladesh supporters soon got a respite from pinching themselves indisbelief. Omar, whose 28 off 106 balls was a lesson to his team-mates inapplication, was adjudged lbw to Alan Dawson in the 32nd over of the game(97 for 2).Bashar, on 60, slashed Dawson to Herschelle Gibbs at point (100 for 3).Akram Khan, after a doughty 13 off 53 balls, played across the line to PaulAdams and was caught at silly point by Jacques Rudolph (124 for 4). AlokKapali was then caught behind for a duck, trying to cut Adams but onlymanaging to edge the ball (124 for 5).Mohammad Ashraful (12 off 54) pulled the first ball after tea from Adams toBoeta Dippenaar at midwicket, and Bangladesh were 126 for 6. Some lustyslogging from Mashrafe Mortaza (20 off 15) and his 26-run last-wicketpartnership with Mohammad Salim (16 not out) took Bangladesh past 150, butit was more desperation than calculated assault.Mortaza was a mess with the new ball when South Africa walked out to bat. Hebowled four no-balls in his first over, and conceded 28 runs in his firsttwo overs. Gibbs and Smith obliged the hit-me balls that Mortaza bowled, andSouth Africa were off to a flyer.Smith and Gibbs both threw their wickets away needlessly, though. Smith (16)flashed at a ball outside off from Tapash Baisya, and Salim took a gooddiving catch to his left (38 for 1). Gibbs, one ball after a mishit slog offMortaza landed safely in no-man’s zone, mishit another slog that Salim heldon to easily.Dippenaar and Jacques Rudolph saw off the rest of the day easily, and lookedforward, no doubt, to more easy runs the next day. Bangladesh mused on whatit meant to win the first session of a Test match – nothing at all.

Needing 321 to win Worcs ended the third day on 9-0 from four overs. Notts’ batsmen had totally dominated the day putting behind them their awful collapse on the opening afternoon. A century by Greg Blewett, plus fifties for three of the middle order, renewed home hopes of a first Championship victory of the season at Trent BridgeBeginning the day on 39-1 Notts were indebted to their second-wicket pairing of skipper Darren Bicknell and Australian Greg Blewett. Their stand of exactly 100 had taken the home side into an overall lead but was ended when Chris Liptrot trapped Bicknell lbw for 38.The same bowler also accounted for Blewett but not before he had completed his fourth Championship ton of the season, getting there with a lofted six straight back over bowler Matt Rawnsley.Usman Afzaal made 53 and Paul Johnson 18 as the middle order continued to build upon the earlier fine work. By tea the lead was already more than 200 and shortly afterwards Kevin Pietersen advanced to his own fifty (80 mins 66 balls 10x4s) then lifted Rawnsley high over mid-wicket for six.Chris Read, on his 23rd birthday, had also hit a maximum during the afternoon session and he lifted Rawnsley for another as he helped Pietersen post the second century stand of the innings.Pietersen held his bat aloft on reaching 76, acknowledging those who were aware that, after Blewett, he had become the second Notts player to reach 1,000 first-class runs for the season. In his first season of county cricket the 21-year-old could, quite rightly, be proud of the achievement.A first ton at Trent Bridge looked a certainty but on 86 he was run out by a brilliant piece of fielding from Rawnsley, swooping at extra cover to return Read’s shot sharply to Steve Rhodes. Three balls later Richard Logan went without scoring, not playing a shot at David Leatherdale.Worcestershire took the new ball as soon as it became due and a Bichel half volley enabled Read to clatter it through the covers for the boundary needed to reach his 50 (124 mins 99 balls 5x4s 2x6s).A J Harris then tried to leave alone a delivery from Bichel but only succeeded in gloving it to Rhodes and without further addition to the total Read edged Sheriyar to Vikram Solanki at first slip. Nadeem Malik scored his first senior runs with a sliced boundary over the slips but then, with the total on 423, he was held in the gully by Weston.

From the very last scheduled ball of the very last Championship match at The County Ground, Yorkshire retained their 115-year record of never having lost at the ground.Alex Morris a former Yorkshire player edged Ian Fisher to Gavin Hamilton at slip to give the visitors an exiting victory.After play had started 45 minutes late due to the heavy overnight rain, Yorkshire advanced their lead to 257, thanks in the main to Aussie Darren Lehman’s 92, and a less swashbuckling innings of 61, by Hamilton. Shane Warne was particularly expensive as the Yorkshiremen chanced their arms on a turning wicket.Set 258 to win in a minimum of 54 overs, Hampshire got off to a good start, and by tea had reached 109 for 1, the only batsman dismissed, White for 37, as he pulled Middlebrook to be caught at point.What Yorkshire had for their tea, must have contributed to the changing face of the game. As first Kendall was caught at short leg, then Kenway attempting a second was run out directly by Matthew Hoggard. This started the slide, as Smith pulled the ball straight to Lehmann at leg-slip, then Shane Warne dragged his back foot out of his crease and was well stumped. Wicket-keeper Aymes fell lbw.With overs and time running out, Dimitri Mascarenhas joined Lawrence Prittipaul, and for 12 overs they held up Yorkshire’s progress, the following the youngsters departure, the more experience Shaun Udal came in.With the statutory 16 overs complete and 35 minutes still to play, Mascarenhas finally fell to a slip catch that rebounded from the wicket keeper. With just five minutes remaining Udal could not avoid the turning ball. Peter Hartley came in to a standing ovation and a guard of honour from the Yorkshire team, but he watched as the last over bowled by Ian Fisher was played by another former Yorkshire player Alex Morris. Two loud shouts for LBW were turned down, but with the very last ball, Morris edged the ball to first-slip, where Hamilton gleefully took the catch.Hampshire learnt later that they had been docked 8 points, after the County Ground pitch was rated as “poor” by the ECB Pitch Panel. The points penalty was largely academic as Hampshire were already relegated. Sixteen wickets fell on the first day, which forced umpires John Holder and Trevor Jesty to report the surface, a statutory requirement.

Match facts

Tuesday April 15 2008 Start time 14.30 (18.30 GMT)

Big picture

West Indies have secured the series after their back-to-back wins in Trinidad, one a last-ball thriller and the other a more comfortable success completed by the man-of-the-moment, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, and Marlon Samuels. It has been an uplifting couple of weeks for West Indies, following their series-levelling Test victory, and a whitewash of the one-dayers would set them up nicely for the ultimate challenge of facing Australia. For Sri Lanka it’s about salvaging pride from a tour that started so promisingly before fading away. They have clearly missed some of their experienced players, but no one ever said rebuilding a side would be easy.

Form guide – West Indies

Last five matches: LLLWWPlayer to watch: It hadn’t been a happy home season for Marlon Samuels until Saturday’s match-winning 54 off 49 balls. He seems to have been weighed down by the controversy over his bowling action, but showed a timely return to form in Trinidad. He has always been a batsman of immense talent and maybe forgetting about bowling completely is the way for him to go.

Form guide – Sri Lanka

Last five matches: LLWLLPlayer to watch Chamara Kapugedera rescued Sri Lanka in the first ODI with a career-best 95 but didn’t get a bat in the following game. Kaushalya Weeraratne was promoted to No. 4 as a pinch-hitter – and laboured to 15 off 20 balls – while Kapugedera kicked around the changing rooms. If Sri Lanka want to change their order he may as well be given a chance higher up to make the most of his form.

Team news

West Indies had a stronger bowling attack for the second match in Trinidad after drafting in Daren Powell who should keep his place. Darren Sammy could come under pressure if they decide to recall Sulieman Benn, the left-arm spinner, on what is usually a batsman-friendly surface.Sri Lanka could decide to give some of their other squad players an outing. In the other matches two bowlers have been off the pace so Thilan Thushara, who impressed in the Test series, would provide a striking option. Chaminda Vaas may have earned a rest at the end of the tour.West Indies (probable) Chris Gayle, Sewnarine Chattergoon, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Marlon Samuels, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Dwayne Bravo, Denesh Ramdin (wk), Darren Sammy, Jerome Taylor, Daren Powell, Fidel EdwardsSri Lanka (probable) Upul Tharanga, Mahela Udawatte, Kumar Sangakkara (wk), Mahela Jayawardene (capt), Tillakaratne Dilshan, Chamara Silva, Chamara Kapugedera, Nuwan Kulasekara, Chaminda Vaas, Ajantha Mendis, Thilan Thushara

Pitch and conditions

The St Lucia pitch is usually good for batting and 250 is the minimum a team needs to defend. With this being a day/night game the teams will have to adjust their tactics accordingly, although there is limited evidence as to the effect of the lights. The only other floodlit match finished with more than 22 overs to spare as a 10-wicket win for West Indies. There is a chance of showers during the game, so once again Duckworth-Lewis could play a role.

Stats and trivia

by 9 wickets – D/L method
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out

An efficient bowling effort was followed up by a couple of confident half-centuries as India rolled along to a thumping nine-wicket win in the rain-affected one-off one-dayer against Ireland at Belfast. It was a comprehensive way to start a three-month-long tour and a victory that would provide them a boost ahead of the three-match series against South Africa, starting in three days’ time.Ireland’s innings never really got going – the top-order fell to swing, the middle to wrist-spin – and it took a fighting half-century from Niall O’Brien to prop them up to 193. Showers interrupted play exactly at the halfway point, costing more than two-and-a-half hours and leading to the target being revised to 171 off 39 overs, but an effervescent 163-run stand between Gautam Gambhir and Sourav Ganguly sped India to victory.Gambhir and Ganguly were the expected opening combination but Tendulkar walked out early, for the first time in a one-dayer since early December last year. The move didn’t pay off, though, with Tendulkar lasting just three deliveries: not accounting for swing, he attempted to flick a full ball from off to leg, leaving the gate wide open. Roger Whelan, on his one-day debut, couldn’t have imagined a better start.It meant Gambhir, coming off a century on India’s recent tour to Bangladesh, was in as early as the second over, slapping and flashing to anything wide of the stumps. He’s always liked width, backing himself with those jabs, but there were other strokes too: a delectable straight-drive off medium-pacer Trent Johnston and a crackling pull when Kevin O’Brien dropped it short.At the other end, there was more left-handed class on show. Ganguly struggled with his timing and placement early on but soon unfurled the gorgeous strokes, lacing silken drives on the up and giving the cover fielders no chance. The events of the 11th over, from Kevin O’Brien, encapsulated his innings: second ball, full and outside off, driven to cover; third ball, full and outside off, driven to cover; fourth ball, outside off, driven between mid-off and cover for four; fifth ball, full and outside off, driven to cover; sixth ball, full and outside off, advances down the track and drills it emphatically past mid-off for four. Uncertainty followed by certitude followed by dominance. He rarely blinked thereafter and stamped his authority with a straight six off Whelan towards the end.

The base was laid by the bowlers earlier in the day, in conditions that were ideal for fielding first. Sreesanth and Rudra Pratap Singh, bowlers with contrasting styles but similar curving deliveries, posed the early questions. Ironically, it was a straight delivery that produced the early breakthrough: Kenneth Carroll driving away from his body only for Dinesh Karthik to leap to his right and pull off a delightful catch.A scratchy yet consolidating partnership followed until Dominick Joyce drove loosely away from his body, getting a thicker edge that flew to Ganguly’s right at third slip. Ganguly surprised himself, and the sparse gathering that had turned up, with an athletic take, one that resulted in his 100th catch in one-dayers. William Porterfield managed an adhesive 46-ball 16, an innings which went well with the sleepy settings provided for this game and equally one that ensured that Ireland didn’t lose their way completely.Things got worse with the introduction of the 18-year-old legspinner, Piyush Chawla. Not the conventional sort of legspinner but one who relies on a flatter trajectory and a majority of googlies, Chawla had the Irish middle order in knots. A delightfully flighted topspinner undid Gary Wilson, who played around a full ball and was castled, before a googly lured Kevin O’Brien into a slog sweep, one that struck the top edge and got only as far as RP Singh at deep midwicket. Andrew White was flummoxed by a conventional legbreak that bounced a little extra and struck the outside edge.The situation was dire at 83 for 5 but Niall O’Brien produced a fighting knock, his fourth half-century in one-dayers. He wasn’t frustrated by the dot balls – a massive 224 of them in fact – and hung in there when wickets fell at the other end. Johnston’s was the more entertaining knock, cracking two sixes and a four towards the end, and boosted the total to close to 200 and set up some sort of a contest. Tendulkar’s early dismissal caused a few flutters but Ireland had little to cheer from then on.

The West Indies Players Association (WIPA) has issued a release stating that it is greatly concerned about recent decisions taken with regard to Dwayne Bravo and Brian Lara.Recently, the WICB announced that retainer contracts were being given to seven players including Lara, but not Bravo. The board had excluded Bravo because of a contract he recently signed with TSTT, a competitor with the board’s sponsors Digicel. The WICB took a decision to ignore Lara’s personal contact with Cable & Wireless because it was signed prior to the WICB’s contract with Digicel.WIPA is contending that the recent ruling by the ICC allows Bravo and other players to pursue their personal sponsorship deals, regardless of who sponsors the WICB.”We say this against the background of a FICA/ICC ruling on the issues pertaining to the respective commercial and promotional rights and obligations of players, the WICB and its major sponsors, a ruling the WIPA and the WICB agreed would be binding on both parties,” WIPA’s release said.

Division One

Middlesex’s middle and lower-order repelled everything that Shane Warne could produce as they secured a tense two-wicket win over Hampshire. Each time Middlesex were moving into a favourite’s position Hampshire struck back. Firstly they removed Alan Richardson after he proved to be a stubborn nightwatchman and he was immediately followed by Ed Joyce. At 199 for 6 Hampshire were in with a real chance, but two generations of Middlesex allrounders – Jamie Dalrymple and Paul Weekes – forged a vital of 56. Still, though, Hampshire didn’t give in and when Warne removed Ben Scott 6 were still with two wickets in hand. However, Weekes had the final say, as his unbeaten 39 finally settled the issue after a brilliant example of hard-fought Championship cricket.Gloucestershire battled to an unlikely draw against Surrey through career-best innings from Alex Gidman (142) and Stephen Adshead (93). The pair added 233 and more importantly used up valuable time. However, when they both fell within 14 runs of each other Surrey would still have had the chance to chase a very attainable target if they’d wrapped up the tail. But they found more stubborn resistance in their path as Ian Fisher and James Averis both batted for over an hour. Jimmy Ormond eventually finished the innings with 4 for 89 but Surrey’s target of 180 was nigh on impossible in the remaining time. Azhar Mahmood gave it a shot with 26 from 17 balls but the game was called off after 11 overs. Surrey have missed a huge opportunity to close the gap on the leaders while the draw will boost Gloucestershire’s hopes of avoiding the drop.2nd daySolid batting from Kent’s middle-order left their clash with Sussex finely poised after two days. Four batsmen passed 50, Robert Key’s 74 currently being the top-score, and Matthew Walker is unbeaten on 55 overnight. He is Kent’s main hope of getting a lead if he can receive support from the tail. Jason Lewry picked up a couple of wickets, including Key, but Mushtaq Ahmed was usually expensive, going at over four runs an over. Earlier, Chris Adams and James Kirtley extended their partnership to 72 and Simon Cook finished with 3 for 57.

Division Two

Richard Dawson guided Yorkshire to a three-wicket win against Worcestershire with a flamboyant 51 from 58 balls. The match was in the balance when play began, Yorkshire needing 46 runs and Worcestershire four wickets. Matt Mason struck the first blow, removing Ismail Dawood for 5, but Dawson held firm to resist the Worcestershire attack. Kabir Ali, who had taken four wickets yesterday to set up the tense finish, could not gain another breakthrough as Tim Bresnan offered Dawson staunch support in the eighth wicket stand of 39 – enough to take Yorkshire home and gain a vital 20 points.2nd dayEssex took a firm grip against Northamptonshire after piling up 506 then setting their spinners loose on the Northants batting. James Middlebrook and Danish Kaneria took all six wickets to fall. Kaneria claimed the important scalp of Martin Love in his first over and Middlebrook dismantled the middle-order during his 23 overs. Essex’s total was based around a series of useful contributions right down the order, with no one going to reach a hundred, and Ravindar Bopara top-scored with 87. The warning signs were flashing for Northants when Monty Panesar, their left-arm spinner, claimed 7 for 181 from 56 overs. Middlebrook and Kaneria only needed 46 between them to leave Northants on the ropes.

Wondrous Oblivion (PG) – Starring: Leonie Elliot, Delroy Lindo, Sam Smith, Stanley Townsend, Emily Woof. Directed by: Paul Morrison

In London in 1960, David Wiseman (Smith) is an 11-year-old cricket fanatic who knows all the stats, has all the gear, and spends his spare time fantasising about the game. He remains “wondrously oblivious” to his lack of talent with bat or ball. David is befriended by his new Jamaican neighbours, who have set up a cricket net in their back garden. Ten year-old Judy (Elliot) and her father Dennis (Lindo) take pity on David and teach him the basics.However, while David and his mother grow closer to their neighbours, the other residents in the street make life increasingly difficult for them. What unfolds is a captivating drama that addresses friendship, racism, and missed youth. The movie uses cricket as a backdrop to deal with these issues.West Indian cricket has a significant presence in the film. Sir Garry Sobers and Sir Frank Worrell are portrayed in the film by actors and former allrounder Phil Simmons worked as an adviser to coach his cast.The standout performance is by Delroy who inspires the audience with his gentle nature and sincerity from start to finish.Wondrous Oblivion is challenging, enjoyable, and well worth seeing.Cinema locationsSydney/NSW Hoyts GU George St, Hoyts Broadway, Cinema Paris, Cremorne Orpheum, Randwick Ritz, Roseville Cinema, Hoyts Chatswood Westfield, GU Burwood, GU Macquarie, GU Castle Hill, GU Tower Cinemas Newcastle, Bowral, GU WollongongMelbourne/Victoria Dendy Kino, Rivoli, Classic Elsternwick, Dendy Palace Brighton, Palace Balwyn, Village Jam Factory, Village Southland Europa, Village Knox Europa, Waurn Ponds, Hoyts Chatswood, Sun Pics Yarraville, Belgrave CameoBrisbane/Queensland BCC Indooroopilly, BCC Garden City, BCC Chermside, Hoyts Regent, Balmoral Cineplex, Graceville Twin, BCC Maroochydore, BCC Pacific Fair, Gold Coast Arts CentreAdelaide Nova Eastend, Trak, GU MarionPerth Astor, Luna Essex, Windsor, GU InnalooCanberra GU Manuka