Cricket: Ian Bell century puts England beyond reach in the rain

England’s new template for winning one-day internationals withstood a first fleeting demonstration of West Indies power – and captain Alastair Cook believes it will do so again.

The second match of the NatWest Series is at The Oval tomorrow, and England will start it 1-0 up with one to play after their rain-affected 114-run D/L win at the Ageas Bowl on Saturday.

That victory was a fifth in succession for Cook’s team, following their unexpected 4-0 trouncing of Pakistan in the United Arab Emirates. It was built on a wonderful century from Ian Bell, only his second in 109 ODIs, on his return to the top of the order in place of the retired Kevin Pietersen.

Bell’s innings was a triumph for a batsman of high class who has underachieved in a stop-start 50-over career, and who had ten stitches in his chin, and was nursing a cracked jawbone too, after a mishap in the nets the day before.

England’s victory also contained a warning of West Indies’ capabilities, however, in a brutal half-century from the tourists’ own substitute opener Dwayne Smith, who might not have played had Chris Gayle not succumbed to a shin injury. Yet Smith’s string of boundaries off England’s pace bowlers raised at least the possibility of a successful chase.

England turned to Tim Bresnan, and Smith was the first of his four victims – vindicating Cook’s faith in the theory that West Indies cannot keep hitting England’s finest without encountering telling risks. So it was as the Windies subsided to 172 all out, 116 runs short of England’s first innings total of 288-6.

“Everyone was saying at the beginning of the series how tough they [West Indies] are going to be as a one-day side – and they are. To win by 100 runs after losing the toss is really good from the lads,” said Cook.