A reasonably solid right-handed top-order batsman, Matthew Bell made his Test debut against India at Wellington in 1998-99. Down with stomach cramps, Bell was relegated to the sidelines for rest of the summer. He then came back and hit his maiden Test ton against Pakistan in March 2001 in a winning cause. He showed signs of cementing his position at the top of the order but flattered only to deceive.

A string of mediocre scores followed suit, which meant that he was jostled in and out of the team. A fine domestic season in 2007-08 helped him earn a recall for the home series against Bangladesh and England but he failed to deliver again. His fleeting ODI career too was a case of missed opportunities.

However, Bell continued to churn out good displays for Wellington at the domestic level until the recurrence of injuries forced him to retire in 2011.

By Cricbuzz Staff