Bell tells England they can’t take Ireland threat lightly
ENGLAND batsman Ian Bell has warned his teammates they will have to show the same level on intensity against Ireland tomorrow as they did in their remarkable run chase against India on Sunday.
Bell and his captain Andrew Strauss shared in a ground record third-wicket stand of 170 as England tied India’s 338 with a single from the final ball.
After a jittery and error-strewn opening victory over Holland, England’s improvement in Bangalore provided a welcome shot in the arm following on from the 6-1 one-day series defeat in Australia, but Bell warned the point they earned against the co-hosts will be useless unless they secure a win against Ireland. He said: “We will be aware of the huge danger of not playing to our potential against Ireland,” Bell (below) said. “I fully respect the Irish team. We cannot just turn up and expect to win. Off the back of a great result against India, we need to carry that on now.
“It is not a game we can just coast. There are some dangerous players in that Ireland side.”
Meanwhile, England’s five-wicket hero against India, Tim Bresnan, has been warned by the ICC having committed a Level One offence by swiping at the stumps after he had been bowled by Piyush Chawla.
Bresnan, who accepted the ICC charge, wrote on his Twitter page: “I hit the stumps by mistake. Didn’t mean to cause any trouble.”
Skipper Andrew Strauss was fined 20 per cent of his match fee for slow over-rate in the field.
Fast bowler Stuart Broad, who missed the match against India with a stomach bug, will be fit enough to practise again today and barring a setback should be available for selection against Ireland.