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Moeen, Bell and Taylor top three versus ACT

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Ian Bell will open the batting alongside Moeen Ali, with James Taylor to come in at three in England’s tour opener, captain Eoin Morgan has announced.

With Alastair Cook no longer in the one-day set-up, Moeen needs a new opening partner. Bell will be given the first chance to bat with the Worcestershire all-rounder.

Taylor, who like Moeen impressed on the series versus Sri Lanka late last year, will be next in against an Australian Capital Territory XI at Canberra’s Manuka Oval tomorrow.

The game is the start in earnest of England’s preparations for the Tri-Series with Australia and India, which precedes the World Cup.

Morgan, whose squad trained yesterday but were denied the chance today by rain, said: "Tomorrow the top three will be Ali, Bell and Taylor. The first opportunity goes to those guys.

"All three look in great form as did everybody who batted yesterday. It was a really good surface to bat on. Opportunity lands with them and we'll see how they go.

"Belly is a class act, somebody we've looked to for a long time to score a heavy weight of runs and use his experience. He's pretty key at the top of the order."

Morgan was speaking to the English media for the first time since succeeding Cook last month, and he reiterated several points made in an exclusive interview with ecb.co.uk on the day he was appointed skipper.

Morgan today said: "Cookie was the first person to message me once I got the news, which is nice. It sums up the guy.

"I've had a great relationship with Alastair over these last number of years that he's been captain and I’ve been involved in the England side.

"He's been fantastic to me and to the side. It is unfortunate the way it ended but it was the decision that's been made."

On his own style of captaincy compared to Cook’s, Morgan explained: "I don't think it will differ in a huge amount.

"There will be certain things that Alastair would do that I wouldn't simply because it is his character and mine.

"When I've captained in the past I've tended to strip things back to the basics and keep things as relaxed as possible because things can tend to conjure up and you want guys to be at their best and be relaxed to make best decisions."

Morgan, who has led England eight times among his 130 one-day internationals, added: "Over the last seven or eight months I think we've seen a considerable change in the method that we've used both batting and bowling.

"That will continue to go in the same direction and guys will be encouraged to play with that freedom."


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