LEEDS: Ian Bell — known to his England teammates as `Belly', not because there is an ounce of fat on that chunky body but rather because they regard him with affection — could not be more certain of his place in the party for Australia if he were sitting in his club class seat at this moment.

He completed his third successive hundred before lunch on the second day of the Headingley Test against Pakistan and if that does not give him more confidence, encourage him to shed his shyness and force the selectors to see what a tough batsman they have in this durable young man then cricket will be the loser.

I imagine that seasoned Australian Test players, rubbing the sleep from their eyes this morning in Wagga Wagga, Rockhampton and Freemantle, switched on the TV sets to see how Bell had performed and thought: "That little Pom will be the cause of a lot of strife this summer."

Classic player

England began on 347 for six, with Pietersen determined to see Bell to his hundred — which Bell managed without giving a chance. His 119 came in four and a half hours off 206 balls.

That tells you what sort of Test batsman he is — a classic, mainly defensive, patient batsman, able to bat anywhere, impervious to danger or jibes or what is happening at the other end. An Aussie in Pom's clothing in other words. At the moment he has the vote over Alastair Cook although Cook will probably go further in the long term.

Pietersen was caught in the deep for 135, after batting without a sign of the cramp that spoilt his innings on Friday, Bell was bowled at 445 stepping back to make room against Danish Kaneria and then came the big surprise; another 70 runs from Sajid Mahmood, Steve Harmison and Monty Panesar so that England was all out 515, its tenth innings above 500 against Pakistan.

Umar Gul battled strongly and finished with five wickets but no-one else bowled well and the news that Shoaib Akhtar and Naved-ul-Hasan might come back was welcomed by the coach Bob Woolmer. Matthew Hoggard and Harmison caused no ripples in 11 overs with the new ball but Mahmood made the ball hurry through and lift in his first over. Mahmood is Simon Jones in embryo a year after Jones last bowled for England but in the second Test he was clearly a work in progress. With the last ball of the next over Hoggard had Taufeeq Umar caught diving left by Chris Read.

Mahmood's next over shook Younis Khan who ran a flustered single and Pietersen ran out Salman Butt by a yard. So close to tea there was a sense of panic in the Pakistan ranks, Mahmood kept the ball up, Harmison had Mohammad Yousuf dropped by Paul Collingwood low to his right and runs came often from strokes of desperation as Pakistan reached 66 for two at tea.

SCOREBOARD

England — 1st innings: M. Trescothick c & b Sami 28, A. Strauss c Khan b Nazir 36, A. Cook c & b Gul 23, K. Pietersen c Nazir b Sami 135, P. Collingwood c Umar b Gul 31, I. Bell b Kaneria 119, C. Read lbw b Gul 38, Matthew Hoggard b Gul 0, S. Mahmood b Gul 34, S. Harmison c Sami b Kaneria 36, M. Panesar (not out) 5, Extras: (b-13, lb-6, nb-11) 30; Total: (in 123 overs): 515.

Fall of wickets: 1-67, 2-67, 3-110, 4-192, 5-345, 6-347, 7-421, 8-445, 9-501.

Pakistan bowling: Sami 26-1-135-2, Gul 29-4-123-5, Nazir 28-7-101-1, Kaneria 34-4-111-2, Taufeeq 2-0-8-0, Butt 4-0-18-0.

Pakistan — 1st innings: S. Butt (run out) 20, T. Umar c Read b Hoggard 7, Y. Khan (batting) 15, M. Yousuf (batting) 11; Extras: (lb-8, nb-2, w-3) 13; Total: (for two wkts. in 19 overs, at tea): 66.

Fall of wickets: 1-34, 2-36.

England bowling: Hoggard 7-1-19-1, Harmison 8-0-21-0, Mahmood 4-2-18-0.

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