Natwest Series England v India ODI 21st August

Bell in fine form (Photo - Jasonpix.co.uk)

A crowd of 20 000 saw England beat India decisively by 104 runs under the The Rose Bowl's world class floodlights

ENGLAND CRUISE TO VICTORY AT ROSE BOWL

A bumper Rose Bowl crowd of 20,000 saw England open their seven-match one-day series against India with a comprehensive 104-run victory under the floodlights on Tuesday in the NatWest One Day Series.

England, having been put in to bat, totalled an intimidating 288-2 off their 50 overs before India were dismissed for 184 off the last ball of their 50th over.

Ian Bell, the Warwickshire batsman, won the man-of-the-match award after scoring an unbeaten 126 off 118 balls with 10 fours and a six. He shared a match-winning second-wicket stand of 178 with Essex opener Alastair Cook whose 102 came from 126 balls with eight fours. It was a maiden international one-day century for both batsmen.

Hampshire's Kevin Pietersen, who came in at 221-2 in the 42nd over, finished with 33 not out.

The India reply ran into immediate trouble when Sourav Ganguly, the man with 22 ODI hundreds, was run out in the third over by Monty Panesar's fine pick-up and throw from the deep. Lancashire paceman James Anderson then snapped up the next three wickets, including the great Sachin Tendulkar who was caught at short mid-wicket for 17, as India stumbled to 34-4 in the 12th over.

Skipper Rahul Dravid, top scorer with 46, and Mahendra Dhoni, then staged a fightback by adding 68 for the fifth wicket. But Dhoni (19) was caught behind hooking at Andrew Flintoff and Dravid, having hit a straight six off Panesar, followed three runs later, smartly caught off Hampshire seamer Dimitri Mascarenhas on the legside by wicketkeeper Matt Prior who was standing up to the stumps.

The last four India wickets added 79 runs, with Dinesh Karthik finishing with an unbeaten 44 and Zaheer Khan slamming two huge sixes over long-on. Two more run-outs made it three in all, Anderson finished with fine figures of 4-23 and Mascarenhas returned a tidy 1-28 off 10 overs.

ENGLAND 288-2 (50 overs): Bell 126 not out, Cook 102, Pietersen 33 not out; INDIA 184 (50 overs): Dravid 46, Karthik 44 not out, Anderson 4-23.

ENGLAND won by 104 runs.

* The next England v India one-day international is under the floodlights at Bristol on Friday 24th August.