Bell on course to justifying faith of selectors

Bell (121no) and Paul Collingwood (74no) reprised their rescue act from last week's drawn match in Adelaide, this time upping the ante with an unbroken stand of 198 in 45 overs.

The upshot was a close-of-play 335-5 and a first-innings lead of 105 at the halfway mark of this four-day match.

England badly needed some vintage Bell when they lost three wickets for 13 runs to lurch to 137-5, still well in arrears early on a showery afternoon in Hobart.

The selectors will not have true vindication, of course, until Bell carries his warm-up form into the Ashes – beginning in Brisbane next week.

But the belief they have shown in his abilities, returning the 28-year-old immediately to their first-choice team after his injury last summer, appears well-placed. He certainly appreciates it, and is anxious to prove coach Andy Flower and captain Andrew Strauss right.

"There's no doubt when you lose your place, through injury or whatever, you're going to have to fight hard to get it back," he said.

"Probably coming here, I thought I would be the one on the outside and not playing."

Instead, the spare batsman has been Eoin Morgan. "Eoin is a fantastic player and he has a massive future," added Bell. "It's difficult for Eoin but also great for English cricket to have a quality player like him who is on the sidelines at the minute."

Bell never received explicit information that he was inked in to the Test team for England's bid to retain the Ashes. But he said: "I guess just being picked in the three games speaks more than any words. It's nice to have that backing and confidence, and I hope the form can continue now for the Ashes.

"There's no doubt I feel a better player than I was the last time I was on an Ashes tour," he confirmed. "I feel a better player, and my game is starting to really take shape. But it counts for nothing yet. It's great practice, and great to go out and get hundreds, but the big stuff starts in Brisbane."

Bell, whose 113-ball hundred contained 13 fours and a six, took a particular liking to the leg-spin of Steve Smith.

The all-rounder is one of three A team players also in Australia's 17-man squad for Brisbane.

Kevin Pietersen, however, could make only five before unaccountably missing an unremarkable delivery from Steve O'Keefe to be bowled. He was the last man out for England, once again to a left-arm spinner – a noted weakness of his in recent times.