England v India 2007

At Birmingham, August 27. England won by 42 runs. Toss: India.

On his home ground, Bell added to his blossoming reputation as a liberated one-day player. He top-scored for the third innings in a row, then stymied India's reply with two sharp catches and a run-out, crystallising the massive difference in fielding between the sides. Although England hit 80 from their last ten overs, nothing matched the fireworks of Bristol three days earlier. Victory was solid rather than spectacular, but no less pleasing given the losses of Flintoff and Mascarenhas, who aggravated a thumb injury during the warm-up. Bell played within his scope, striking only two fours and two sixes, but his stand of 75 with Collingwood provided a vital platform. It felt like a match in India, with two-thirds of the crowd made up of their supporters, who revelled in the vibrant atmosphere as Ganguly and Dravid chipped away at the target. However, Tremlett recovered from an expensive first spell to remove them in successive overs, and a slow surface meant new batsmen struggled to impose themselves against disciplined bowling. Collingwood's medium-pace proved especially effective, and India's last hopes ended with the run-out of Yuvraj Singh in a panicky misunderstanding with Zaheer Khan.

Man of the Match: I. R. Bell.