Ian Bell, who today became England’s leading one-day international scorer with his best format total, is having “good fun” at the top of the order.
Bell’s majestic 141 was comfortably more than the 98 runs he needed to oust Paul Collingwood as the record-holder.
His first ODI ton for two years, and fourth overall, beat two scores of 126 and put England on course to set Australia a stiff target at Hobart’s Bellerive Oval.
However, once Bell was out at 253 for three in the 42nd over, the tourists faltered somewhat in posting 303 for eight.
Gutted about the result today. Thanks though to everyone for all of your kind messages about the personal milestones. Really appreciated.
— Ian Bell (@Ian_Bell) January 23, 2015
Australia stand-in skipper Steven Smith was instrumental in a three-wicket win completed with a ball to spare, his unbeaten hundred helping the hosts to a place in the Tri-Series final with a match still to play.
Bell could at least take satisfaction in the record and personal-best, which followed 88 in Tuesday’s defeat of India and 187 in a warm-up game versus a Prime Minister’s XI.
Those contributions were all the sweeter given the Warwickshire right-hander played just two of England’s seven ODIs against Sri Lanka late last year.
“It’s been stop-start for me in my one-day career so it’s nice to have a couple of good games back-to-back in this series,” he told Sky Sports.
“I’m really enjoying certainly being at the top of the order where you get full value for shots here in Australia in particular. It’s good fun.
“It’s obviously disappointing not to be on the right side tonight but this group of guys, I think we’re in a good place as a team and we’ll keep driving forward, but I’m really pleased personally how it’s gone and a few records today is great.”
Smith’s 102 not out was his sixth international century of the Australian summer.
“It’s nice to get a few runs again tonight and get the boys over the line,” he said.
“I thought we timed our chase pretty well there at the end. A lot of credit has to go to our bowlers, the way we clawed it back in the last 20 overs to restrict them to 300 after probably staring down the barrel of around 350.”