Hundred just a start for Bell

Warwickshire 256 for 4 (Bell 106, Trott 69*, Westwood 60) v Lancashire
Scorecard

Almost exactly a year ago Ian Bell made an imperious 199 against a strong South African bowling attack in the Test at Lord's. The popular view was that it would be a breakthrough innings and that the most talented English-born batsman of his generation would go on to flourish at the highest level for the next decade.

It proved to be a false dawn, however. His next 12 Test innings produced just one half-century and Bell was jettisoned after the debacle of Jamaica. Instead of spending this week at Lord's, he's back at Edgbaston.

Now aged 27, Bell finds himself at a crossroads. While he could have the best cricket of his career in front of him, he could just as well find that he never plays another Test. A future as the Mark Ramprakash of his generation looms.

That would surely be a terrible waste of talent. His century here, the 25th of his first-class career, was full of glorious strokes timed with an ability granted to very few.

But, perhaps as impressive as the shots Bell played, were the shots he did not. There was no pushing outside off stump; no aerial drives and no loss of concentration. He left the ball well and, though he did survive one edge through vacant third slip on 59 off the deserving Kyle Hogg, there were no chances. In such form, it is hard to think of a better batsman in the county game.

His innings also gave Warwickshire a good platform in the match. Currently without a win this season, they know they'll need to improve if they are to clamber out of the bottom two.

That maiden victory is unlikely to come in this match. The rain that washed out the first day returned in the afternoon to shear another 22 overs from the second. The forecast for the remainder of the match is hardly encouraging, either.

For Bell, however, this was "a very satisfying day."

"That's as good as I've felt all season," he told Cricinfo. "It can be quite difficult to prepare with England and then come back to county cricket, so I told myself last night that I couldn't afford to think about anything other than this game.

"I've been working on some technical things - I had become a bit closed off - so to come back here, keep my focus and score a century against a good attack is very satisfying. I am at a crossroads. I know I'm next in line [for an England spot], so I've got to keep this form and, when the opportunity comes, I know I've got to take it."

It's centuries Bell needs. While Bell has now passed 50 in five of his last six innings, this was his first championship century since the first game of the season. For a man who has been criticised for failing to convert his 50s, that's a record that might do him more harm than good.

"If you look at my stats, you'll see I've scored as many runs as Alastair Cook or Michael Clarke," he said. "But what I haven't done is convert enough of my 50s into 100s. I can't really tell you why that is. I've been out in the 90s a couple of times and I made 87 at Perth before giving a catch to cover. Maybe I just need to hold myself back a little and I know I've got to keep learning how to build 100s.

"Maybe I haven't made enough ugly runs, either. There have been times I've made scores when the runs have been quite easy, but been guilty of not doing it when it's more difficult. Of course I've heard people say I'm mentally weak, but my self belief is always there. I think part of the problem is that I sometimes make things look easy, so people presume I've got myself out.

"But I don't think anyone is saying I can't play Test cricket. I've proved I can play, I just need to convert more often. I'd be quite satisfied with my Test career if I never played again. I've played 46 Tests and I average over 40. I've been rated 12 in the world. I could walk away now and look back on a good career.

"But I want to look back on a great career. I'd like to play another 40 or 50 Tests and be rated as one of the top 10 batsmen. I want to walk away as the greatest Warwickshire player there's been. I'm 27, so I do feel I've a lot more to offer England."

There will be those who dismiss this innings as of little indication of Bell's readiness for a return to Test cricket. Certainly the pitch was easy-paced and Lancashire missed Glen Chapple with a sore foot. But Lancashire's bowlers performed admirably, with Sajid Mahmood allying accuracy to his pace, Hogg immaculate and Gary Keedy - rated a "very fine bowler" by Bell - gaining surprisingly sharp turn.

There were also runs for Jonathan Trott and Ian Westwood. While few of Westwood's shots will linger long in the memory, this innings ended a grim run of form for Warwickshire's captain. He had not made it to double figures in his last six first-class innings and this was just his second half-century in the last 12 months. Here he resisted sensibly, but could not capitalise on Mark Chilton's generous drop at deep square-leg when the batsman had 55, and fell to a catch at gully after being drawn into pushing at one well outside off stump.

Trott, however, is in much better form. After amassing a record number of T20 runs for a season, he is averaging more than 87 in the Championship and can't be too far from an England call.

Bell was eventually beaten by an excellent outswinger from Oliver Newby, before Jim Troughton gave a bat-pad catch to short-leg after failing to deal with turn out of the footholes. Earlier, a footless Tony Frost was caught in the crease by a straight ball.

It was also a busy day for Warwickshire off the pitch. The club are close to completing the signing of Indian fast bowler Sreesanth and hope he will add some firepower to their attack for the remainder of the season.

He's an interesting signing. While his somewhat excitable nature does him few favours - his history includes bowling beamers to Kevin Pietersen, shoulder barging Michael Vaughan and being slapped by team-mate Harbajhan Singh - he certainly has some ability. He'll be the quickest bowler on the Warwickshire staff by a distance and, as he has been overlooked by the Indian selectors since April of last year, should be hungry to prove himself.