Cricket: Bell Has Chance to Get Away From It All

It says a lot about the all-consuming pressures of an Ashes series that, however much he narrows his eyes and tries to suggest otherwise, tomorrow's C&G final at Lord's is a chance for Ian Bell to get away from it all. The showpiece one-day county final has become an opportunity for light relief, a few notches above a candlelit supper.

Bell wants to do Warwickshire proud. Both he and Ashley Giles retain a great affinity with the county, so much so that after Bell took a blistering short-leg catch off Giles at Old Trafford to dismiss Justin Langer, the bowler proclaimed: "Caught Bear, bowled Bear - that's a bit special."

It is just that, however much Bell tries to steel himself to an analysis of Hampshire's attack, journalists are more interested in whether he wants to face Glenn McGrath at The Oval. When he walks into the Warwickshire dressing room, eager for the latest gossip, all that his team-mates want to know is what Freddie Flintoff thinks about life.

For England's newest batting recruit, adjustment does not come easily. "I guess it's going to be a good thing to play at Lord's and release the pressure of an Ashes series, but not to think about the Ashes will be strange," he said.

"Everyone wants to know what is happening out in the middle in the Ashes and the Warwickshire guys are no different, but hopefully this Saturday me and Ashley can just contribute to the team. You cannot help thinking about the Ashes all the time, but a county final is still a big day."

No one has grappled harder this Ashes summer than Bell. At Lord's he was mentally mugged by Shane Warne and padded up to a straight one. His recovery in the next two Tests said much about his pedigree, but a misjudgment in the form of a failed hook shot at Brett Lee encouraged those who would have preferred the gnarled talents of Graham Thorpe in England's middle order to depict him as an innocent struggling to stay afloat.

Does he regret that hook shot in the fourth Test? As he walked off at 57 for four, with England's pursuit of 129 in disarray, his pained expression had suggested as much.

"Yes and no," he said. "If it flies for four or six, it's a good shot. Thinking about it, I probably wouldn't have changed the shot because we are told to play on instinct and that is what I tried to do.

"Because the pitch was quite slow it drew me into it. If it was a quicker pitch I would have probably just got under it. If you play on instinct, and believe in your ability and technique, then there is not much that can go wrong. It wasn't a great way to get out but I still would still play the shot all over again.

"The whole summer has been a massive learning curve. I've had ups and downs and it's been fantastic to have that experience. Playing in this Ashes series has made me realise what I need to work on. What I have gone through, mentally and physically, will help me become a better player.

"You are testing your game out under pressure and that is when you find out where your flaws and weaknesses are. It's probably more mental lessons - coping with situations, understanding your frame of mind and controlling your feelings - rather than uncovering technical faults.

"It's my first full series against the best side in the world, with the whole hype of an Ashes series, so it makes you think it's as tough as it gets."

Bell needed no cajoling to play at Lord's. He recognises - as do most of this England side - that cricket's surge of popularity must permeate through the game, from county sides to junior cricket, if it is to spark a long-term interest in English cricket's fortunes.

He denies that, when he was hailed as the finest 16-year-old batsman in the land, cricket ever felt geeky or uncool - those who felt that probably stopped playing - but accepts that "football was always the way to go".

He also owes John Inverarity, Warwickshire's Australian coach, who encouraged him to leave his comfort zone and play cricket in Perth in the off season. Inverarity returns to schoolteaching in Australia at the end of the season. This is Bell's last chance to say thank you.

"John has moved my game forward massively. He is very old-fashioned in his approach to the techniques of four-day cricket. He has introduced some drills that I will do for the rest of my career. He got me out of a comforting environment. He helped me move from a young schoolboy cricketer to a good county cricketer and hopefully a bit more. I owe him a lot."