Belf retires...

Aussies can rest easy now as they no longer have to fear the glorious recall...

Last of the class of ‘05 to depart the professional game (other than Jimmy who didn’t actually get on the field to earn an MBE at the time). Often infuriating, often ridiculed, but a five-times Ashes winner, how many other living Englishmen can claim that honour?

beamer wrote:Aussies can rest easy now as they no longer have to fear the glorious recall...

Last of the class of ‘05 to depart the professional game (other than Jimmy who didn’t actually get on the field to earn an MBE at the time). Often infuriating, often ridiculed, but a five-times Ashes winner, how many other living Englishmen can claim that honour?

Wow! This is truly a black type day for cricket. A ghastly pall has descended over Pomgolia. The once and future hope of Shermanators the world over has for the last time been dismissed, looked confused and tucked his bat after being dismissed for a pretty 30.

Well done to the Belf.

Made the most of his ability sometimes, looked silly other times.

Pretty sure he is the only player to feature in all of England’s Ashes wins this millennium... it would appear Botham is the only other England player since the dinosaurs to appear in five winning series.

His overall record stands up to comparison with most of his England contemporaries as well as with predecessors like Gooch and Gower - I guess the issue is he probably had the natural talent to be a 50-average player, and his early career tendency to only cash in when others had laid a big foundation.

He found some silly ways to get out, but a lovely batsman to watch when in form.

Somewhere in the internet wasteland, Danny and Dello trudge along different back roads.

They are many miles from each other and the once warm hugs of JKL are distant memories.

They like their fellow Pomgolians are sick of heart, sad of spirit and very sore in the backside from being Johnson'd.

News is scarce and unreliable. Still there had been regular updates on the deeds of the peoples' hero, IRonBell.

The news of his 'retirement' filtered through and a collective groan could be heard. A time warp opened and visions of a dystopian cricket landscape became realised.

In unison our odd socks heroes - Dello and Brass Monkey - realised there was only one course of action open to them.

1. They must find each other.
2. They must prepare a final Twelve Belf Days of Christmas.

Surviving members of Flaming Bails, now huddle around flickering embers in India, England and Australia. They are invited to submit suggestions on how Danny and Dello can reunite so they can complete one last task together.

Basil wrote:He found some silly ways to get out, but a lovely batsman to watch when in form.

Yeah, that is a pretty good cricketing epitaph for him...

In a less successful era he would probably have been more appreciated by England fans as a shining talent amid the dross, albeit one with Gower-like flaws. As it was, he was often outshone by less talented individuals who made the most of what they had, and just never seemed an imposing character really. The Shermanator stuff perhaps clouded views of him throughout his career, though not sure if the wider cricketing audience puts a more positive spin on him than we typically did here.

It perhaps sums it all up in a way that we thought he had finally reached his potential with a MOTS performance in 2013, and yet a couple of years after that his Test career had fizzled out. But of course only two men (Chef and KP) made more centuries for England.

All jokes aside, the Belf had a terrific career. I expect history will treat his contribution with great respect. Sure he was not an ATG but he had a fine career,

22 Test tons and a respectable average at 42.69 suggests IRon Bell is one of the greats of 21stC Pomgolian Cricket. He also took an even 100 catches.

I have been thinking of players that he could be likened with and thought about Mark Waugh.

Koala Jnr averaged 41.16 in Tests. Many still prefer him to his older brother.

** This is the first in a series of posts to commemorate Bell's career. Such a shame the English media has so underrated his contribution. **

Comparisons: Similar batting (slighter better) average to that of Ian Chappell. Similar ratface.

lardbucket wrote:Comparisons: Similar batting (slighter better) average to that of Ian Chappell. Similar ratface.

hehehe

lardbucket wrote:Comparisons: Similar batting (slighter better) average to that of Ian Chappell. Similar ratface.

One of your best, lardy.

The Belf is at last honoured in a fitting way…

Bar Bell

In terms of elegant shot making, Joe Clarke comes close. Pity he's such an arrogant tossquer.

Yeah, don’t know if Hepburn-gate changed him at all, his form certainly fell off a cliff after that but seems to have got back on track.

Anyway, Rikki Clarke retires this week. We need an FB tribute for sure…

Prediction. The Belf will do a Colin Cowpoke and answer England's call for replacements during the Ashes.

He hasn’t played for a year now, so we’d have to be pretty desperate!

Cook’s still racking up the runs for the Chavs (though rumours a players-management dispute might bring an end to that) so could be the old boy on emergency call. Though I doubt he’d leave his family for a month or two of quarantine in Australia at this point in time.

Anyway, when is Bell going to get the honour he really deserves… an end named after him at Edgbaston?

His namesakes going well there today, Tom A.Belf and Daniel Belf-Drummond…