Bell secures Lions call-up

Warwickshire batsman Ian Bell has been issued a call-up to the England Lions squad to take on the West Indies on May 10.

An injury to Durham's Ben Stokes, who has undergone a scan for a back injury and will miss the warm-up game for the Windies, has given Bell his chance to impress ahead of England Test series. Bell has been struggling for form but did manage to get his first century in nine months, as he notched up 120 runs in the victory for Warwickshire at Edgbaston over Durham. National selector Geoff Miller has revealed his disappointment at losing Stokes to injury but stated Bell was more than willing to fill the void and get more cricket under his belt. He said: "It is unfortunate that Ben's injury has ruled him out of the match. "Ian Bell was keen to play another game ahead of the Test series [against West Indies and South Africa]. "After performing well for Warwickshire this week, this match provides an ideal opportunity for him to continue his preparations as well as helping to ensure England Lions prove challenging opposition for West Indies."