File:Lords - June 2011 - E v SL - Ian Bell Steers One Over the Slips (5858008465).jpg

It is a joy to watch Ian Bell bat at the moment as he is averaging over 90 runs per innings over his last 10 Test innings and his batting reflects his new found confidence after having been dropped last year. This was his first scoring shot, a late cut over the slips for 4 down to the Third Man boundary. He repeated the shot later in the over but that was more of a top edge. It is good to see him him fulfilling the promise we have known since he first came on the scene. The recent England v Sri Lanka Test Match at Lords ended in a tame draw after frequent interruptions with the weather so the 5th Day crowd was sparse but at least it meant that me and my friends could get a ticket and enjoy a day chatting and drinking in the sunshine. Because there was no great rush for tickets the £20 entrance fee meant you could sit anywhere you wanted so we took the opportunity to sit in the Grandstand and the Edrich Stand. We were also allowed to go on the playing area at lunchtime, a very rare treat though I can think of no good reason ever to do so except, of course, to pass ill informed judgement on the pitch and to take some pictures. I took the chance to do both.