LONDON, July 11: Ian Bell recorded his highest score for England with an unbeaten 171 as England further strengthened their position by the tea interval on the second day of the opening Test against South Africa at Lord’s on Friday.

Bell, whose place was under threat if he again failed to fulfil his abundant talent, anchored a substantial England first innings of 535 for six at the interval.

He added 286 for the fourth wicket, a record against South Africa, with Kevin Pietersen who took his overnight total of 104 to 152. It was his fifth Test score in excess of 150.

Pietersen again struck the ball savagely through the leg-side before he was caught behind trying to hook Morne Morkel. He had already survived a chance on 133 when he drove Jacques Kallis firmly back to the bowler who was unable to hold on to the catch.

Bell, 75 not out overnight, prospered against some more indifferent South African bowling to reach his eighth Test century and his third at Lord’s.

After Pietersen’s departure, Paul Collingwood (7) holed out to short leg off the spin of Paul Harris.

Wicket-keeper Tim Ambrose, like Collingwood suffering a wretched run of form in international cricket, was then caught at first slip by captain Graeme Smith off Morkel for four off the second ball after lunch.

Smith’s catching may have been sure but his captaincy was ploddingly conventional.

Instead of calling up his fastest bowler Dale Steyn against new batsman Stuart Broad, Smith stuck with the innocuous Harris and England soon reaped the rewards.

Bell lofted the left-arm spinner for six then cut Morkel exquisitely for four, guiding rather than hitting the ball.

Backfoot drives off Harris and Kallis, played with perfect timing, raced to the boundary and he reached his 150 by on-driving Kallis for four with a shot of textbook perfection.

Smith, now totally on the defensive, brought back his most experienced bowler Makhaya Ntini from the Pavilion End and dispensed with the formality of a slip.

Bell responded by cutting a boundary to exceed his previous Test best of 162 not out against the modest Bangladesh attack three years ago and feathering the next delivery through the vacant slip position for four.

Broad, an increasingly impressive batsman at number eight, plundered six fours off the dispirited South African bowlers to reach 54 not out at the interval, his second Test half-century.

The South African fielding became increasingly ragged under the pressure and the England 500, their first in 15 innings, was posted after a sloppy overthrow.

On Thursday in the last session, Pietersen celebrated his first Test against his native South Africa on with an imperious unbeaten 104.

Pietersen was ably supported by Bell to an impressive England total of 309 for three at the close.

Scoreboard

ENGLAND (1st Innings, overnight 309-3):

A. Strauss lbw b Morkel 44

A. Cook c de Villiers b Morkel 60

M. Vaughan b Steyn 2

K. Pietersen c Boucher b Morkel 152

I. Bell not out 171

P. Collingwood c Amla b Harris 7

T. Ambrose c Smith b Morkel 4

S. Broad not out 54

EXTRAS (B-14, LB-5, W-7, NB-15) 41

TOTAL (for six wkts, 138 overs) 535

FALL OF WKTS: 1-114, 2-117, 3-117, 4-403, 5-413, 6-422.

TO BAT: J. Anderson, R. Sidebottom, M. Panesar.

BOWLING: Steyn 32-6-116-1 (6nb, 6w); Ntini 27-2-125-0; Morkel 30-3-102-4 (5nb); Kallis 20-3-70-0 (1w); Harris 29-7-103-1 (4nb).

UMPIRES: Daryl Harper (Australia) and Billy Bowden (New Zealand).

TV UMPIRE: Nigel Llong (England).

MATCH REFEREE: Jeff Crowe (New Zealand).—Agencies