Bell thanks Edgbaston fans for support

England

England batsman Ian Bell was one of the happier players in an already delighted team at Edgbaston, after he scored two half centuries on his home ground to lead the side to an eight wicket victory against Australia.

Bell's place in the side was heavily questioned ahead of the match, with many a call for him to be dropped, but he responded with scores of 53 and 65 not out in front of his home fans, and thanked them for their support.

Bell said on the ECB website: "It’s been a tricky period for me, there’s no doubt.

"You go through highs and lows in cricket, and I was definitely going through some tough times. But when I went out to bat here at three, I could feel the whole ground’s support and it went really well."

Bell's unbeaten half ton on Friday saw England win inside three days, and he added: "It was nice to be not out at the end.

"I felt I played well in the first innings and got out in a way I didn't need to at the time. It was disappointing and I was desperate not to give it away today and see it through.

"Hopefully we can start Trent Bridge like we did here, and looking forward to the support we can get there; that’s a great ground for us as well, the support we get at Trent Bridge is just like Edgbaston."

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