MELBOURNE // Ian Bell believes it is essential that England make a strong start when play begins on Sunday in the fourth Test against Australia in Melbourne.
Australia ran out emphatic winners, by 267 runs, in the third Test in Perth to square the series at 1-1 and they have the momentum coming to the penultimate match of the series.
Bell, the England batsman, said the best way to lower Australian confidence was by ensuring that England had the better of the action on Sunday morning.
"We're going to have to start the Test match well," he said. "We don't want Australia winning the first hour or that first session.
"It'd be great for us to be able to come out and win that first session, whether we're batting or bowling, and try and take a bit of that momentum."
While Bell acknowledged that Australia had been worthy winners in Perth, he still believes England have played better in the first three Tests.
"They played some fantastic cricket at the WACA. [But] out of the three Test matches I'd say we've been playing the better cricket," he said.
"We've had a blip at Perth. We knew Australia at some point were going to play some very good cricket and some great individual performances."
Bell, 28, is second in England's batting averages for the series with 213 runs at 71.00, trailing opener Alastair Cook's tally of 495 at 123.75.
His sparkling form, including top-scoring with 53 in England's first-innings total of 187 in Perth, has prompted calls for Bell to be promoted to No 5 ahead of Paul Collingwood.
Collingwood is averaging 15.50 in the series and looked out of sorts in Perth, making five and 11.
"It's always nice to get moved up the order," Bell said, but the 60-Test veteran added he has not spoken with team management about a promotion.
"Whether I move up the order doesn't really matter as long as we're winning the next two Test matches," he said.
"That's the most important thing to me, contributing to this team winning the Ashes.
"It's probably one of the most exciting Test matches we're going into. Playing in Melbourne is something you look forward to. A Boxing Day Test match is always special.
"The Oval in the last Ashes was a pretty big game; any England-Australia game is a huge game.
"We're particularly excited about playing on one of the best grounds in the world and trying to put right what we did wrong in Perth."
England did not train yesterday, but Bell was quick to dismiss any hint of the side relaxing as they prepare for the Melbourne encounter.
"Just because we haven't been at the nets playing cricket, the guys have still been at the gym, doing their physical work and making sure we're still ready," he said.
Bell, who averaged just 25.68 in 13 previous Ashes Tests before the current series, feels he has improved significantly in the past 18 months.
However, a century in an Ashes Test eludes him.
His highest score against Australia was the 87 he made in Perth four years ago.
"I'm desperate for an Ashes hundred, there's no doubt about that. I'm hoping with the way I'm playing there's one around the corner," he said.
"I think I'm starting to show the kind of cricketer I think people saw in me in my early ages."
His teammate, Kevin Pietersen, predicted Bell would shine wherever he bats in Melbourne.
"Belly is in the form of his life," he said. "We're very lucky to have someone who can bat anywhere: one, two, three, four, five, six."
Pietersen also is convinced that Collingwood, despite his below-par series to date, will deliver a big score.
"The thing about Colly is, and we all know, that when he has his back against the wall, the one man who is going to deliver is Collingwood," he said.
"I would not be surprised if we are 100 for three this week, and Collingwood gets 150."
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Director: Alfonso Cuaron
Stars: Cate Blanchett, Kevin Kline, Lesley Manville
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Company name: OneOrder
Started: October 2021
Founders: Tamer Amer and Karim Maurice
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Industry: technology, logistics
Investors: A15 and self-funded
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Company name: SimpliFi
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Industry: Finance, technology
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Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
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Transmission: Single-speed automatic
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Abu Dhabi GP schedule
Friday: First practice - 1pm; Second practice - 5pm
Saturday: Final practice - 2pm; Qualifying - 5pm
Sunday: Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix (55 laps) - 5.10pm
If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.
When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.
How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
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Business Insights
- As per the document, there are six filing options, including choosing to report on a realisation basis and transitional rules for pre-tax period gains or losses.
- SMEs with revenue below Dh3 million per annum can opt for transitional relief until 2026, treating them as having no taxable income.
- Larger entities have specific provisions for asset and liability movements, business restructuring, and handling foreign permanent establishments.
Five famous companies founded by teens
There are numerous success stories of teen businesses that were created in college dorm rooms and other modest circumstances. Below are some of the most recognisable names in the industry:
- Facebook: Mark Zuckerberg and his friends started Facebook when he was a 19-year-old Harvard undergraduate.
- Dell: When Michael Dell was an undergraduate student at Texas University in 1984, he started upgrading computers for profit. He starting working full-time on his business when he was 19. Eventually, his company became the Dell Computer Corporation and then Dell Inc.
- Subway: Fred DeLuca opened the first Subway restaurant when he was 17. In 1965, Mr DeLuca needed extra money for college, so he decided to open his own business. Peter Buck, a family friend, lent him $1,000 and together, they opened Pete’s Super Submarines. A few years later, the company was rebranded and called Subway.
- Mashable: In 2005, Pete Cashmore created Mashable in Scotland when he was a teenager. The site was then a technology blog. Over the next few decades, Mr Cashmore has turned Mashable into a global media company.
- Oculus VR: Palmer Luckey founded Oculus VR in June 2012, when he was 19. In August that year, Oculus launched its Kickstarter campaign and raised more than $1 million in three days. Facebook bought Oculus for $2 billion two years later.
Porsche Taycan Turbo specs
Engine: Two permanent-magnet synchronous AC motors
Transmission: two-speed
Power: 671hp
Torque: 1050Nm
Range: 450km
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SERIES INFO
Afghanistan v Zimbabwe, Abu Dhabi Sunshine Series
All matches at the Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi
Test series
1st Test: Zimbabwe beat Afghanistan by 10 wickets
2nd Test: Wednesday, 10 March – Sunday, 14 March
Play starts at 9.30am
T20 series
1st T20I: Wednesday, 17 March
2nd T20I: Friday, 19 March
3rd T20I: Saturday, 20 March
TV
Supporters in the UAE can watch the matches on the Rabbithole channel on YouTube
