Ian Bell signs off 10 short of final ton
The third day of Warwickshire’s Bob Willis Trophy match against Glamorgan at Cardiff will be remembered as the day when Ian Bell left the batting crease for the final time at the end of an illustrious 20-year career, signing off with an ever-impressive 90 to put his side in a match-winning position going into the final day.
Bell finished with a career aggregate of 20,440 runs, and an average of 43.58, having scored just 66 in six innings this season prior to the 140 accumulated in this match.
First-team coach Jim Troughton paid tribute to Bell. He said: “The fact Belly scored the runs he scored in this game showed the skill he has got – he is a big player and will be sorely missed. I think he showed the true worth he has shown for England and for Warwickshire over a number of years.
“It’s quite fitting that the day of his final first-class innings is also the anniversary of the death of Neal Abberley.
“Abbers was his coach from a young age and his mentor, so I think that is quite a fitting way to go.
“Knowing Abbers, I think he would have asked him – like he always asked us – ‘Don’t you like hundreds?’ But he did everything he could and it was a tricky one to deal with.
“He has done everything to help set us up in a game here, which hopefully we can force a result.”
“It’s been immense! You don’t understand the worth or the acknowledgements while you are a player.
“It’s a fickle game when you are not scoring runs, but when you finally call it a day you get the true gratitude of what he as a person and as a player has done for England and for Warwickshire. I hope he soaks that up because he deserves all of the credit that comes his way that comes his way and hopefully he can walk off with a win under his belt.”
In the morning session, Bell had strode to the wicket to a standing ovation from the gathered coaching staff and media, and was deserving of the guard of honour by Glamorgan on his final walk to the middle. He left it with 90 in the bank, helping to put the Bears in charge – setting Glamorgan 331 for a win they will hope to chase down today.
It was also a memorable day for Dan Mousley. The 19 year-old wasn’t born when Bell made his debut in 1999 and having shared a partnership of 70 with the retiring stalwart in the first innings, the youngster struck his maiden Championship half-century in the second before being caught for 71 late in the day.
