Bell century helps give England lead

Cricket: Ian Bell's impressive 132 and Paul Collingwood's gritty 80 helped sweep England to a stumps score of 303 for six and…

Cricket:Ian Bell's impressive 132 and Paul Collingwood's gritty 80 helped sweep England to a stumps score of 303 for six and a first-innings lead of 56 against South Australia on day two of the three-day match at Adelaide Oval.

Bell and Collingwood shared a controlled fourth-wicket stand of 178 after England had lost the wickets of nightwatchman Matthew Hoggard and opener Alastair Cook to slide to 34 for three.

And Bell and Kevin Pietersen added another 70 off only 69 balls before they left in the first and second overs with the second new ball - Bell edging a back-foot drive off Shaun Tait to Darren Lehmann in the gully and Pietersen (32 off 35 balls) shouldering arms to a Jason Gillespie off-cutter that uprooted the off stump.

Tait, named in Australia's original 13-man squad for the first Test starting in Brisbane next Thursday, pulled up abruptly after the fourth delivery of his 20th over and left the field immediately, with figures of three for 65 in front of national selectors Andrew Hilditch and David Boon.

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A report from the South Australia dressing room said Tait had only "cramped" and was being massaged by the team's physiotherapist and would bowl again in the match.

Chasing the hosts' 247 for seven declared, England resumed at 24 for one in fine, warm conditions and scored 58 off 30 overs in the first session, 114 off 33 in the second and 107 off 27 between tea and stumps.

Hoggard had not added to his overnight score of 10 when he waved outside off stump at a Tait outswinger in the third over of the day and edged a comfortable catch to wicketkeeper Shane Deitz.

Three overs later, left-hander Cook hung his bat out limply at a Gillespie leg-cutter and snicked another straightforward catch to Deitz. Cook's 12 had come off 38 balls.

Bell and Collingwood evaded several bouncers from Tait and part-time medium-fast trundler Daniel Harris and settled in to play some handsome drives off Tait's over-pitched deliveries and later punished South Australia's young slow bowlers, off-spinner Dan Cullen and leg-spinner Cullen Bailey.

Collingwood survived loud shouts for lbw decisions to Tait toe-crushers when he was one and 54, and a strong appeal for a bat-pad catch to slip off Cullen when 76.

That Collingwood batted at number five - effectively number four because of nightwatchman Hoggard - suggested England were planning to use him at number four in next week's first Test in Brisbane, immediately ahead of the team's most aggressive batsmen, Pietersen and Andrew Flintoff, rather than between them at number five.

Collingwood's 80, with six fours, came off 172 balls in nearly three hours. He departed in the fourth over after tea when he snicked a front-foot cut off Bailey to Deitz.

Bell soldiered on to his 18th century in 101 first-class matches, and his 132, with a six over long-on off Cullen and 12 fours, came off 240 balls in nearly five hours.

England practised in the nets before play started, and Steve Harmison did a series of stretching exercises but did not bowl.

He returned to the nets later for a 15-minute bowling session during which he worked up to a lively speed and did not appear to be inconvenienced by the strained left side that put him out of this match against and had him in doubt for the first Test.

Harmison and England's team management will be keen to learn how he feels when he cools down from this morning's encouraging workout.

A spokesman said management was "pleased with the way he came through".