da fazobetai： Ian Bell dominated the opening day of England A’s unofficial two-Test series against Sri Lanka A with a chanceless 128 not out
The Bulletin by Charlie Austin07-Mar-2005
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
Ian Bell: a marathon, chanceless 128 not out on the first day in Colombo© CricInfo
Ian Bell dominated the opening day of England A’s unofficial two-Test seriesagainst Sri Lanka A with a chanceless 128 not out, a marathon innings thatwas characteristically workmanlike and patient on what was a baking hot day at the Colombo Cricket Club, leading his team to 272 for 4 at stumps.Bell, England A’s captain, added 116 in the first half of the day withAlastair Cook (63) and then 117 during the afternoon with Owais Shah (52),blunting a Sri Lankan bowling attack weakened by a spate of injuries duringthe last couple of weeks and frustrated by a hard, flat batting pitch.Nandika Ranjith, a 30-year-old left-armer, was the most successful bowler on a generally unsuccessful day for bowlers. He found the outside edge of Michael Powell (7) with the new ball and then returned after lunch to trap Cook lbw. But Mohamed Suraj, a young offspinner, was the most threatening bowler.Sri Lanka’s spinners, Suraj and Malinga Bandara, a legspinner that has pulledhimself back into international contention, pulled back some of England’sinitiative just before the close with two quick wickets. Shah was trappedlbw playing across a straighter ball and Rikki Clarke (4) was snapped up atforward short leg.The England A squad arrived in Colombo on the weekend after cruising to a4-0 series win against the UAE in Sharjah. They had expected a sternerexamination in Sri Lanka, but thus far they’ve continued their successfulrun.