England’s Ian Bell hopes one-day record can lift him to World Cup success

http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2015/jan/14/england-ian-bell-one-day-record-world-cup

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Chris Stocks Canberra

Ian Bell believes he has discovered the template for World Cup success after scoring a record-breaking 187 against an Australian Prime Minister’s XI. Bell admitted he had no idea he had made history when he recorded the highest one-day innings by an England batsman after passing the 22-year-old landmark set by Robin Smith, who scored 167 against Australia at Edgbaston in 1993.

The 145-ball masterclass, which spanned all but one delivery of his side’s 50 overs, helped England post a mammoth 391 for six in Canberra to equal their highest one-day total, set against Bangladesh at Trent Bridge in 2005.

If there were any remaining doubts about the decision by the England coach, Peter Moores, to promote Bell back up the order ahead of the more aggressive Alex Hales, they disappeared during this 60-run win. Now Bell, who in 150 ODIs has converted only three of his 31 half-centuries into hundreds, is confident he has finally found a method that can help him prosper against the best sides in the world, starting with Friday’s opening Tri-Series match against Australia in Sydney.

“I didn’t know about the record. It was nice to get a really big score in a competitive game,” he said. “One thing I’ve probably been guilty of in the time I’ve been opening is getting to 60, 70, 80 but I’ve never really gone on and enjoyed myself the way I did today. Hopefully I can use that and if I can do that a couple of times this winter, that’s great for the team.

“I’ve been guilty in one-day cricket of getting a lot of 50s and not converting enough. That’s what I can do if I bat 49 overs or whatever it was. I’ve spoken to Mooresy about that, I believe I can play at the top of the order for England. The thing is converting starts into match-winning scores. Today was pretty much perfect template-wise, how I’d like to play in one-day cricket.”

Bell, who scored 51 during England’s 216-run win against an ACT XI in their opening warm-up match on Monday, was not even sure of his place in the squad before Alastair Cook was relieved of his position as one-day captain last month. Now, only weeks after his ODI career was seemingly in jeopardy, the Warwickshire batsman is looking forward to playing a key role in England’s World Cup campaign, which starts against Australia in Melbourne on 14 February.

“Of course I was worried about my place,” he admitted. “Coming out here I didn’t know where I was going to bat or if I would start, so it was nice to get first crack at opening. That filled me with a lot of confidence. It’s nice to have a good start but the big stuff starts on Friday.”