SOUTHAMPTON :
England: Ian Bell marked his recall to England's one-day side with an
impressive hundred against the West Indies here on Saturday.
Bell,
given the task of filling the opener's spot vacated by Kevin Pietersen
following the South Africa-born batsman's limited overs international
retirement, responded with 126.
But with England looking on course
for a score in excess of 300, West Indies -- who won the toss --
managed to hold them to 288 for six, with off-spinner Marlon Samuels
taking two wickets for 43 runs in nine overs.
West Indies have the
batting to chase down that score, despite the absence of hard-hitting
opener Chris Gayle, whose much anticipated international return after 15
months out following a spat with Caribbean cricket officials was
delayed by a left shin injury.
This was only Bell's second hundred
in his 109 one-day internationals, with the 30-year-old's 126 not out
against India in 2007 also made here at the Rose Bowl.
Bell's previous best as a one-day opener was the 77 he posted against Australia in a 2007 World Cup match in Antigua.
This
innings came just a day after Bell's participation in the first of a
three-match series was put in doubt when he was struck on the chin
batting in the indoor nets and had to have stitches inserted into the
wound.
But, overcoming fears of a broken jaw, Bell and
Warwickshire colleague Jonathan Trott (42) put on 108 for the second
wicket after England had been nought for one following the third ball
exit of captain Alastair Cook, caught behind off Ravi Rampaul.
There
had been concerns England would struggle for quick runs at the top of
the order in the absence of Pietersen, who finished his one-day career
with back-to-back hundreds against Pakistan in Dubai in February.
But Bell, who was dropped from the Pakistan series, took 16 runs off the sixth over from seamer Andre Russell.
First
ball, he advanced and drove Russell back over his head for a straight
six -- Bell's first boundary of his innings -- and next ball a fierce
square-cut flew over point for four.
Two balls later Bell pulled Russell for four and followed up by driving a wide half-volley through mid-off.
West Indies were convinced they had Bell, on 23, caught behind off Rampaul.
But
umpire Richard Kettleborough was unmoved and West Indies, who'd already
used their one allowed review of the innings on an unsuccessful lbw
challenge against Trott, had to accept the umpire's verdict.
Trott was caught by wicket-keeper Denesh Ramdin off spinner Sunil Narine.
Eoin Morgan (21) helped Bell add 51 before playing on to Samuels.
Bell
was out when he top-edged a slower ball from seamer Dwayne Bravo and
Ramdin took his fourth catch of the innings to leave England 216 for
five.
Craig Kieswetter (38 not out) and Stuart Broad (22 not out) revived the innings as 68 runs came off the final 10 overs.
