England's nearly man shines

Ian Bell came in to the first Test at Lord's under pressure with Andrew Flintoff fit for action against for the next match, writes Derek Pringle in the Telegraph. There have been criticisms that Bell makes hundreds in undemanding situations and that he is too introverted, playing the theory of the game rather than the game itself. His 199 on Friday laid to rest some of these doubts.

To get the ball in the gap behind square leg, Pietersen had to rotate his wrists as if turning a car steering wheel sharp left at the lights. Bell may lack that kind of elasticity in limb but not in mind, and his late cut for four off Ntini, through an empty slip cordon, was like a deadly kiss, delicate but lethal in its effect on South Africa's morale. Before that his finest shot had been a lofted six off his eventual nemesis, Harris, but this came with that delicious cruelty closer to sadism than sport.

In the Guardian, Neil Manthorp catches up with Gulam Bodi, the man KwaZulu Natal picked ahead of Pietersen ten years ago, a selection which turned KP's career for the better.

"We had a couple of issues but we resolved everything afterwards. There's no problem now. Just a couple of misunderstandings."

In the Times Mike Atherton feels Bell's transformation from youth to manhood has been almost overnight.

The Guardian 's David Hopps writes that in Test cricket terms, when Bell finally opened his own bank account.

Allan Donald, the former South African bowler, has seen him progress at Warwickshire and his loyalties seemed with the batsman when he predicted before the Test: "It's only a matter of time before Ian Bell absolutely nails it." Well, he has nailed it, with utter certainty. And, after Pietersen departed, Bell was the one in charge of the hammer.