England win but it’s still hell for Bell

He reached the summit with a sublime 235 in the Fourth Test against India at The Oval, his seventh score above 50 in 11 innings. Since then almost nothing has gone right.

Bell’s top score on three tours this winter — to India, the United Arab Emirates and now Sri Lanka — is 39. He was confounded, like most of his colleagues, by Pakistan’s cunning spin in the UAE but has also contrived to lose his wicket in improbable and careless ways.

It was crucial to his confidence that he mustered a decent score today and he began with two cover drives which had the juices flowing. But he was undone when seamer Vishwa Fernando slipped one down the leg side.

The ball was perilously close to Bell’s thigh pad but the umpire’s finger, indicating he thought that bat was involved no matter how minimally, went up immediately. It is unthinkable that England will drop Bell for the Test match in Galle next week, because strictly speaking he has had only one poor, short series.

But the sense of unease grows. There were better returns from his colleagues as England successfully chased down their substantial target in 60.4 overs. Kevin Pietersen, with whom Bell opened England’s second innings, thumped 52 from 52 balls before he decided that was quite enough and played round a straight one.

Ravi Bopara made a slightly more circumspect 66, doubtless partly because he was keen to press his claims for a Test recall but also because he has suffered a side strain which will prevent his bowling should he be selected as a batsman on Monday.

Although Matt Prior then sped to a characteristically racy 84 in only 60 balls, his dismissal, chopping on, still left England with plenty to do. But Patel’s 72 and Graeme Swann’s 31 not out helped the tourists over the line to make it two wins from two in Sri Lanka.

Earlier, England’s bowlers made quick inroads into the Development XI second innings with wickets for Steve Finn, Tim Bresnan and Swann. But this was followed by declaration bowling from Bell and Jonathan Trott as 154 runs came from 26 overs.