Batsman Ian Bell praised Glenn McGrath for his skill in depriving him of another prospective century after a hard day's graft for England in the first day of the final Ashes Test here yesterday.
The Warwickshire No.3 was grinding his way to his first century against the Australians when the paceman, playing in his 124th and final Test match, bowled him for 71 as England reached 234 for four at stumps on the opening day.
McGrath, who removed Kevin Pietersen for 41 in his previous over, speared one between bat and pad to take Bell's off and middle stumps.
PHOTO: REUTERS
Bell had occupied the crease for 194 minutes off 153 balls and had put on 108 runs for the third wicket with Pietersen.
It was Bell's fourth half-century of the series, but he fell to a beautiful piece of bowling from the crafty old stager, who claimed his 559th Test wicket, the most by a fast bowler.
Bell paid tribute to 36-year-old McGrath, who is retiring from Test cricket after the Ashes.
"It's just patience really. I know what he's trying to do to me, probably the ball that got me out is the delivery he wants to bowl to me the majority of the time," Bell said.
"That's all he's doing, he's testing my technique all the way through and I think he bowled really well," he said.
Bell believes he has grown as a cricketer since his 171 runs in the 2005 Ashes series at a mediocre average of 17.10.
In this series, Bell has scored 303 runs at 33.66 with a highest score of 87 in the second innings of the third Perth Test.
"I feel as if I've improved as a cricketer unbelievably well since the last Ashes series," he said.
"I've enjoyed the contest with Shane Warne, I knew there was going to be one," Bell said.
"I don't try and say anything to Warnie He's always going to come out with the last word as bowlers are always going to," he said.
"He picks his times when he does and there's times when he doesn't say a lot," he said.
Bell worked hard for his runs against pinpoint Australian bowling as England battled to avoid crashing to a 5-0 series whitewash.
"It was real hard work out there. It was very hard to get on top of them at all and took some real graft out there," Bell said.
"At times it didn't look too pretty but sometimes you're going to get runs when they don't look great," Bell said.
"For us as a team this is an important game for England," Bell said.
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