Bell calls for England response

Dejan Kalinic

Bell calls for England response image

England batsman Ian Bell urged his team to produce a response in their Cricket World Cup clash against Scotland on Monday.

Bell's team were embarrassed in an eight-wicket loss to New Zealand on Friday, bowled out for just 123 in Wellington.

The opener said his team had an opportunity to deliver a much-needed response, with England sitting last in Pool A after two losses.

"I suppose it's about how we react tomorrow, isn't it, really?" Bell told a media conference on Sunday.

"I think we've got to put on a good performance. Obviously the result is obviously the most important thing, but it would be nice to put it on with real clinical cricket.

"We haven't done that in these two games. We've been well off the pace, so it would be nice to turn up tomorrow and put all together the kind of game that we know we can.

"That's what we've got to do. I think even though what's happened has been so bad, it's irrelevant for what happens tomorrow, and that's what we've got to make sure, that tomorrow we turn up and play our best cricket."

Bell was asked about England's aggressive style, which has so far failed at the World Cup.

He said it was important to take the game to the opposition, but added his team needed to be smart in their approach.

"Well, yeah, you want to bat through, but there's no point trying to survive, either. You've got to play aggressive cricket. That's where one day cricket is going," Bell said.

"But that doesn't mean slogging, it doesn't mean trying to hit every ball for six. It's being smart, as well.

"There is a blend to that, but we don't want to take a backwards step and go back to trying to survive and build a total and go hard in the last 10.

"We want to play aggressive cricket, and that's not just with the bat, that's with bowling, that's with fielding, and that's where we want to take English cricket."

Dejan Kalinic