Xavier Bell’s sensational cricket form has continued in England with the year 13 St Peter’s School student thumping 338 runs against Forest School last week.
Despite his outstanding performance, St Peter’s lost the two-day match against the London school by two wickets.
Xavier Bell of St Peter’s, Cambridge pictured in front of the scoreboard following his 338 runs in England. Photo: Supplied.
When Bell, 17, was out at the picturesque Walthamstow school ground, the English opponents rushed to congratulate him.
Bell’s form all year has been outstanding. He wrapped up the season scoring two double centuries in two weeks.
The year 13 student lives in Matamata with his father Russell Bell, who runs a tiling business, and mother Tracey Thompson-Bell, a dentist. He went to primary and intermediate school there.
As well as representing St Peter’s, he played for the Northern Districts U19 academy, Northern Districts senior men’s reserve team and Waikato Valley’s top senior men’s team.
Before St Peter’s played Forest School, the players visited Lord’s Cricket Ground, the home of cricket, where Northern Districts’ pundits predict Bell will one day feature.
Xavier Bell playing for Northern Districts in the U19 nationals in Christchurch. Photo: Northern Districts Cricket.
The visitors won the toss and elected to bat first and were dismissed for 101 with Bell out caught for two and Kees Butler scoring an unbeaten 38 to give some respectability to the score sheet.
In reply Forest School Snaresbrook declared on 391, a lead of 290, with Bell nabbing four wickets for 76 with his right-arm medium pace bowling.
The day finished with St Peter’s three wickets down for 101 – still trailing by 189 in their second innings – with Oliver Jeffares on 50 and Bell on 17.
Day two was a run fest with Bell reaching his century in 77 balls, his double century in 121 balls and the triple in 164 balls. His dismissal came on the 184th ball he faced when he skied one into the outfield with a tired-looking shot with the Cambridge side on 526/7. They were soon all out for 534, a lead of 244, which the home team succeeded in chasing down with the loss of eight wickets.
Xavier Bell acknowledges his 300 runs from 164 balls in England. Photo: You Tube.
