Two great pieces of news out of Edgbaston yesterday as Ian Bell signed an extension with his hometown team Warwickshire which will keep the top-order batsman at Warks through the 2017 season. Bell started with Warwickshire back in 1999 having come up with the U-11 team and has won the County Championship with the club in 2004 and 2012 in addition to last year’s T20 Blast. Although England had a very lackluster World Cup campaign, Bell was able to notch three half-centuries in his six matches. He now heads to the Windies for England’s tour before joining up with Warks, who will need him in form and to hit the ground running for the County Championship.
In addition, newly named Sir Richard Hadlee Medal winner, Brendon McCullum, has signed on to play seven games with the Birmingham Bears in the T20 Blast this summer. Warwickshire will be hoping McCullum can keep his World Cup form (….minus the final) for the Bears in order for them to repeat as champions. The Kiwi captain’s first match with the Bears will be against the Lightning on June 26 at Old Trafford, following the conclusion of New Zealand’s tour of England.
From Hyderabad to Hove 