England on top in first Ashes Test as Australia face uphill task in Cardiff

The batsman rediscovered his form with 60 from 89 balls but insisted England would take nothing for granted as they left the visitors chasing 412 runs with two days of play left.

The usually sedate Ian Bell played to England's new brief of aggressive batting, hitting 60 from 89 balls. Jason Cairnduff / Action Images

Ian Bell insisted England would take nothing for granted as they finished Day 3 of the opening Ashes Test at Cardiff in a commanding position.

On a day when Bell rediscovered his form with 60 from 89 balls, England dismissed Australia quickly for 308 – a lead of 122 runs – and were then bowled out for 289 to leave the tourists needing a record 412 runs to take the lead in the series.

But Bell is refusing to accept the job is done with two days left to play in South Wales

“This type of cricket, Ashes cricket, anything is possible,” he told Sky Sports. “We respect Australia, they’re a good side and we’re going to have to come and work hard.

“We’ve already spoken about the amount of hard work that needs to go in. Taking 20 wickets in Test cricket is always hard.”

Joe Root also added 60 to his first-innings 134 but the innings fell away after the duo put on 97 for the fourth wicket.

“It doesn’t matter about time. We just want to score runs and be positive, take every option on we can,” Bell said.

A late clatter of wickets gave Australia a glimmer of hope, although Bell said England’s attacking style was not reckless and more a reflection of a new era.

“You’re going to make the odd error along the way, but that’s the way we want to play now going forward, we want to take our options on and the guys have done that brilliantly all summer,” he said.

“It’s nice to contribute myself, but the way the guys have played all through the summer has been brilliant.”

As in England’s new brief, Bell announced himself with some cover drives off Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc, while opener Adam Lyth also responded to the invitation to counter-attack with a rush of boundaries.

When Lyth slog-swept Nathan Lyon for six, England had taken 50 runs in the first seven overs of the session.

Lyon got his revenge when Lyth edged an off break to be brilliantly caught by Michael Clarke, diving one-handed to his left at slip.

But Bell oversaw a second successive half-century stand, this time more than doubling the total with first-innings centurion Root, and passed 50 himself when he hit Mitchell Johnson over point for his 10th four from 75 balls.

Earlier, impressive bowling from Stuart Broad especially and James Anderson (3-43) had made short work of Australia before lunch.

Resuming on 264 for five, the visitors added 44 runs to end on 308, 122 runs behind.

Broad and Mark Wood gave the opposition no leeway from the outset, rewarded with two lbw verdicts and only one run scored, before Anderson hastened the process with the second new ball.

Shane Watson was perhaps marginally unlucky. He pushed forward to Broad and a decision review after Marais Erasmus had given him out had ball-tracking demonstrating the minutest clip on the top of leg stump, but enough to confirm the dismissal via umpire’s call.

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