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Timely ton rings Bell to England selectors

Ian Bell notched a ton for Warwickshire but it was a less fruitful day for Australians Cameron Bancroft and Jackson Bird

Ian Bell has given England’s selectors a timely reminder of his skill with the blade, scoring an unbeaten century for Warwickshire in the County Championship.

Bell showed glimpses of his class on his way to 130 against a Hampshire attack featuring former Test fast bowlers Ryan McLaren (South Africa) and Fidel Edwards (West Indies).

Warwickshire finished day three 6-283, 81 runs ahead of Hampshire’s first-innings 202 in the rain-affected match at the Rose Bowl.

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Bell was dropped from England’s Test side following a 12-Test run during which he averaged 20.85. His last international ton came exactly one year ago, against the West Indies in Antigua, an innings etched in the 118-Test veteran’s memory.

"My arms were struggling a bit, it was the longest I've batted since Antigua! The body took some adjusting," Bell said after making his 51st first-class hundred.

"I do feel fresh, and excited about cricket. I probably had lost a bit of that drive a few months back.  

"So to have spent a lot of time away from cricket is nice. Whether other things happen with England is irrelevant – where I am now I am very happy.

"It was an enforced break and I understand it. I'm not going to make excuses. I was short of runs since Antigua, but I feel great now.

"I love playing for Warwickshire and my body feels great." 

WATCH: Root, Bell ring in crushing Ashes victory.

The 34-year-old was dropped for England’s tour of South Africa in December-January with Nick Compton, Joe Root and James Taylor chosen in the middle order.

The trio had mixed fortunes in that series. Root led the way with 386 runs at 55.14, while Compton scored 245 runs at 30.62 and Taylor 186 at 26.57.

But while the devastating news of Taylor’s forced retirement – which Bell referred to as “immensely sad” – is still sinking in around the cricket world, an eye to the very near future shows it has created a vacancy in England’s middle-order for the upcoming home Test series against Sri Lanka and Pakistan.

In Chelmsford, Australia Test prospect Cameron Bancroft made a third-ball duck in Gloucestershire’s second dig as they were bowled out by Essex for 215.

Chasing just 93 for an outright win, Essex went into stumps on day three 0-34 with England captain Alistair Cook, fresh off a first-innings century, at the crease.

Jackson Bird’s Nottinghamshire faced some stiff resistance from Surrey after they were forced to follow-on. Bird snared four first-innings wickets to rout Surrey for 225 in their first innings, replying to Notts’ 446.

But second-innings contributions from Sri Lanka legend Kumar Sangakkara (83) and Arun Harinath (114) helped defy Nottinghamshire on day three, Surrey finishing 76 runs ahead on 5-297.

Rain thwarted any play in the other three matches, including Chris Rogers’ Somerset away to Durham as well as the Northamptonshire-Sussex and Worcestershire-Kent games.