Bell injury may not end England recall chance

Warwickshire 152 (Chopra 56) and 4 for 0 require another 318 runs to beat Somerset 295 and 178 (Trego 51)
Scorecard

Ian Bell's hamstring strain should not keep him out of contention for England's first Investec Test squad, according to his director of cricket at Warwickshire, Dougie Brown.

Bell left the field on the first day of Warwickshire's Championship match against Somerset after experiencing pain in his left hamstring. A subsequent scan revealed a "slight strain" in Brown's words.

While any injury doubt at this stage - the squad for the first Test will be picked on Wednesday - is far from ideal, Warwickshire hope Bell would be fit for their next Championship match which starts on Sunday. The Test does not start until Thursday. He had a net at Edgbaston on Tuesday and will bat on Wednesday as required.

Bell has not played for England since the final Test of the series against Pakistan in the UAE in November, but has started the season in fine touch - he made a century against Hampshire and looked set for another against Middlesex until bowled by one that kept low - and describes himself as "refreshed" after a period of rest ahead of the season.

"He is coming on well," Brown told ESPNcricinfo. "We certainly hope he'll be fit for the next game, but it's a bit too early to say for sure. Usually a hamstring strain would keep a player out for five to 10 days. The next two days will tell us a lot but he will bat in this match if needed."

Meanwhile Brown dismissed concerns over the pitch at Edgbaston for the current game, suggesting there had been some "soft dismissals" on both sides.

Several batsmen were struck by the ball on the second day, with Lewis Gregory sustaining what appeared to be an especially hard blow on the helmet. But while Brown admitted there were some cracks in the pitch, he did not think they were serious.

"People complain when the wicket is flat and they complain when the wicket helps the bowlers," he said. "There may be a bit of uneven bounce, but there are also two very good pace attacks at work in this match.

"Maybe one or two balls bounced a little, but I saw a couple of batsmen duck into pretty full balls and I think both sides will look back at their dismissals on day two and think them a bit soft."

There was no play on day three of the game at Edgbaston due to rain meaning Warwickshire will resume on day four requiring 318 to win with all 10 wickets in hand. "We're only thinking about winning this game," Brown said. Judging by the weather forecast, though, a draw is a strong favourite.

Brown also played down speculation linking him with the vacant role as coach of Otago.

"New Zealand is a wonderful country," Brown said. "And my wife is from there. So maybe one day, who knows? But at the minute all my focus is on Warwickshire. We have a lot of unfinished business here and I'm not thinking of anything else."