Ian Bell

I'd like to talk about one of my favourite desserts. A panna cotta.

For those that don't know what one of these is I'll describe it for you. It's a mould of sweet cream which is set using gelatine and flavoured with something like sharp fruit, or coffee of rum etc. There are few nice little things served on the side as well usually like some red berries or a smooth caramel sauce. It tends to been seen in restaurants rather than in the home so it's nearly always associated with a nice meal rather than home cooking. When it's made well it's the perfect third course (or even fourth or fifth course). In the right setting and at the right time it can easily be considered the perfect dessert that rounds off a great meal magnificently. It's both comforting and light. The varying ratio of gelatine and cream make it either silky smooth and rich, or delicate which melts in the mouth. It has a characteristic gentle but firm, structured wobble which sets it so elegantly apart from other lesser desserts. It has a sophistication and style that many of the other desserts just don't possess. It is a pure dessert and it is an absolute joy.

So why do I hardly ever order it?

For all its sophistication and silkiness, other desserts just 'hit the spot' a bit more. It's comforting but it doesn't have the all enveloping food-coma inducing quality of a chocolate torte or a hot British pudding with custard. It's light but not as refreshing and palette cleansing as a lemon posset or a sorbet. It's eye catching in its elegance but place a fruity terrine, or a champagne jelly on the table, and everyone's eyes often invariably move to that instead. The factor is always provided more by anything with a bit of sugar work on it.

It's classic, silky and perfect at the right time. But so often it leaves you wanting a bit more.

Sounds a bit like a certain England batsman don't you think?

Looking at Ian Bell's record over a long and very successful career, it's unfair and very difficult to argue with his contribution to English and world cricket. He averages 43 over 115 tests with 22 test hundreds. As far as test hundreds go, he is equal on the all time list with Wally Hammond, Geoffrey Boycott and Colin Cowdrey. Only Kevin Pietersen and Alistair Cook have scored more test hundreds for England than him. There are some special names mentioned there, and Ian Bell has earned the right to be amongst them.

It's always seemed that throughout his career he's had to try and shake off the feeling amongst fans that he doesn't produce when the going gets tough. This has always struck me as being unfair and I think if fans really analysed it properly, most would agree with this. Going back to that famous ashes series win in 2005, perhaps he was the only one who didn't light up the contest with a significant moment. People often forget the very next series though - the same ashes winning squad, albeit minus Michael Vaughan and Simon Jones, lost 3-0 away to Pakistan. He was England's top run scorer and averaged 52 in that series. He was every bit an equal in that squad and announced himself as a international batsman.

And let's not forget the ashes winning home series in 2013. It was 3-0 to England and without a bit of bad light in the final test, probably would've been 4-0. This was largely down to Bell's match saving runs at number 5 when the top order consistently failed. It was a flattering score line for England which preceded the whitewash in 2013/14. He was awarded man of the series.

Yet the feeling persists. For a senior player, he's never really been considered as a captain. He was briefly vice captain in a turbulent 2014, but was soon superseded by Joe Root. I've heard Michael Vaughan say a few times that Bell is one of the first to lose self confidence after a couple of low scores. This was quite evident this year when he scored a big hundred in the first test in the Caribbean, then hasn't really been able to buy a run since. Stephen Harmison has said a similar thing on the radio also. When he gets out it often looks so soft. Regulation nicks to slip and middling it straight to a set field. When a truly top test batsman (eg Sangakkara, Dravid, etc) gets in it looks like only a hand grenade will shift them from the middle. It sometimes looks like a ping pong ball could find Ian Bell's edge.

Perhaps he's been a bit harshly treated? The problem lies with the expectation possibly. As a teenager, so much was expected from him. He was first picked by England aged 19. He was ear marked for greatness from a young age, and with that expectation, I guess it takes a an awful lot to satisfy every critic. There's no better player to watch in world cricket when he gets in. His cover drive is like a fine champagne. This can make it especially infuriating when he gets out in a seemingly soft manner. If he does retire from tests soon (which seems to be the theme of a few rumblings in the background), his stats and his career will stack up will all but the very best that the game has seen. But he won't break into that very top category. Not now. Some see Ian Bell as a slightly wasted talent, but I prefer to sum it up using a laboured simile.

When I go out for a nice meal I often feel the need for a dessert that gives me more than what a panna cotta provides. Much like Ian Bell, probably unfairly, it just leaves you wanting a little bit more...