Rain Ruins Pakistan's Chance

The maturing of Ian Bell has been the most satisfying element of England's summer. That Bell is progressing should be no surprise, because even Adrian Mole did not remain 13 and three-quarters for ever, but here is a cricketer who now entirely belies his innocent countenance.

Three hundreds in successive Tests against Pakistan established him as a batsman of substance and last night came his highest score in 19 one-day internationals, an assertive 88 from 117 balls in the first of five matches in the NatWest Series.

There was scant satisfaction elsewhere at Sophia Gardens as rain rolled in from the west during the change of innings. A brief respite left Pakistan to chase 159 from 32 overs, a recalculation on the Duckworth-Lewis rain tables, but with 46 logged from seven overs, for the loss of Shoaib Malik, in conditions that were barely playable, further rain proved terminal.

Bell's previous career-best - 80 against Ireland in Belfast - lacked something in prestige. The same could be said of last night's bedraggled affair. Sophia Gardens is homely at best, although Wales anticipate a ground to be proud of by 2009, when Glamorgan contentiously will host an Ashes Test against Australia.

By then an £8m redevelopment scheme will have replaced the joyless pavilion and provided a museum of Welsh cricket - chief exhibits which would fittingly include a bloodied sock from Steve Watkin, one of Steve Barwick's empty beer glasses and a crackly recording of a post-war rollicking from Wilf Wooller.

At the start of the summer, the theory took hold that Bell was not authoritative enough at the crease. But he took the advice on board and, if he will never have the swagger of, say, a Vivian Richards, not without causing everyone to collapse with laughter anyway, he is certainly batting with a new presence.

A first ODI century would have been due reward for a confident innings crafted while the rest of England's batsmen struggled. Jamie Dalrymple's 27 was the second-top score in England's 202, but even that encompassed 53 balls. It was in Dalrymple's fallow period, with England 166 for four and only nine overs remaining, that Bell struck Shoaib straight to Shahid Afridi at mid-on and felt obliged to risk the single. Afridi's overarm throw was fast and true and Bell was about two feet short.

Bell's most anxious moment came when he ducked under a chest-high full- toss ball from Shoaib. Too many Shoaib slower balls go badly astray but Bell's square drive later in the over proved that his nerve had held.

Had Bell sought guidance from the Cardiff speed gun he would have been hospitalised in no time. It measured Shoaib's slower ball at 92mph, a calculation presumably made with its eyes closed, and by the time it imagined that a quick bouncer was 72mph it was a gibbering wreck.

Eight successive one-day defeats, including the Twenty20 loss in Bristol on Monday, have left England light on confidence. Andrew Strauss made only two, top-edging a pull against Mohammad Asif to square leg, and might have been out twice before then, Shoaib being refused a decent shout for lbw and then watching in consternation as Strauss jabbed a ball on to his stumps and the bails refused to drop. This is becoming a common sight, inviting conjecture that arrangements made for Sky's stump mic lodge the bails more firmly in place.

If Marcus Trescothick and Kevin Pietersen fail then England's batting line-up looks woefully short of adventurers. Asif, in an opening spell of three for 19 in eight overs, cut them both down. Pietersen was expertly dealt with, stopped in his tracks by a short ball as he sought to come down the wicket and then, next ball, pushing flirtily at a wide one and edging to the wicketkeeper.

It was another skilful new-ball spell from Asif, following on from his destruction of England's first innings at the Oval, and once Bell was removed Shoaib wrecked England's middle order.

Dalrymple was beaten for pace next ball, Rikki Clarke's uppercut fell to third man and Sajid Mahmood was unhinged by a rapid yorker.

The speed gun reserved opinion on the pace of that, although it can safely be said that it was the fastest ball delivered this summer by a wild-looking man in a ponytail.