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The first time Ian Bell played in a Lords final he had his whole career in front of him. He was only 20 but he had long been tipped for greatness. And, as he caressed an unbeaten 65 - the only half-century of a match in which the players still wore whites - to win Warwickshire the 2002 Benson and Hedges Cup, it became clear to a wide audience that he was a special talent.He had been to the ground before. As an 11-year-old he ran on to the pitch - you could do that in those more innocent days - to celebrate Warwickshires 1993 NatWest final victory over Sussex. Asif Dins game. It was, Bell says now, the day I knew I wanted to play cricket. Not for England; for Warwickshire.He has been back to the ground many times. He is on the honours board four times (for Test centuries in 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2013) and led Warwickshire to another trophy - both as captain and centurion - when he made 107 as his team defeated Somerset in the 2010 Clydesdale Bank 40. Nobody else in the side passed 30.Well leave it for another time to discuss whether he has achieved everything he promised in those early days. But surely all but the most churlish would agree that, after 118 Tests, 22 Test centuries, the Man of the Series award in the 2013 Ashes (as well as playing in four other winning Ashes teams) and 161 ODIs he can look back with pride on an excellent career. And, leaving the stats aside, how many England right-handers have timed the ball as sweetly? Bell has, at times, made batting look beautiful.But while much has changed - Do you remember when he had ginger hair? one of his team-mates jokes - his passion for representing Warwickshire has not. Other players might have fallen out of love with the county that gave them their first opportunity, but not Bell. He might well be the best cricketer this club has produced - he is almost certainly its most successful - but he admits he will take a moment on Saturday to look towards the grandstand where he sat with his family and remember how far he has come. It will not be an insignificant moment for him.He feels he has unfinished business, though. Not only does he hanker after an England recall (he would go to Bangladesh if asked), but he is desperate to revive the fortunes of a Warwickshire team that are, by their standards, enduring a pretty grim season.A grim season? Theyre in a Lords final!True. But they also failed to make the quarter-finals of the NatWest Blast and find themselves neck deep in the Championship relegation battle. For an experienced, well-resourced squad rated the best the club had ever had at the start of the season by their director of cricket, Dougie Brown, that is a bitter disappointment. Bell makes no attempt to hide it.Getting to Lords is a fantastic achievement, he says. But we have to take it on its own. It cant take away the need to improve. We cant paper over cracks. We need to talk very honestly. We need to sort a few things out.There are things that, without a shadow of a doubt, we have to address. There have been things going on that you cant talk about; things that were hopefully going to move forward with. Not getting through the group stages in T20 - especially having won five of our first six games; we then won one from six - was disappointing and it is the same in the Championship. At the halfway point, we were in the mix to win it. But we only have ourselves to blame for being in a relegation scrap now.Such disappointments will bring a review at the end of the season. The mumbles around Edgbaston somewhat harshly blame Brown - it is incredible how a spell as coach can ruin the reputation of a man viewed as a club legend a couple of years ago and it does appear his relationship with some senior players has soured - but Bell is having none of it.The players are the ones responsible, he says. Were a brilliant side on paper. I havent played in a Championship side this year when I would look at the opposition team and think were not a better team than them, but the problem is, you dont play on paper. Weve as good, if not a better, batting line-up than anyone in the country. But its not quite worked. And I count myself in that.You cross the line and you have to front up. The one thing we havent done this year is win key passages of play. I could make excuses about the weather: I could say we were four times in positions to win and the weather stopped us but I think that would be a cop-out. We havent been good enough.Are we doing the right things? Are we playing the right brand of cricket in four-day cricket? Are we talking the right language? Are we training hard enough and trying to get better? Those are the questions we have to ask ourselves and we have to do it straight away at the end of the season.Perhaps the biggest disappointment has been Bells own form. While he started the season with an innings of 174 at Hampshire, no further centuries followed. For one so gifted, his Championship average of 33.88 with only four scores over 50 is modest.There are some mitigating factors. Warwickshire have played on some pretty tricky batting surfaces in recent times - a score of 30 would have been good at times in the match against Yorkshire, Bell says - and there were games, earlier in the season, when rain thwarted them. It also appears that Bell, desperate to revive the fortunes of the team he loves, has been drawn into working on areas of the club - the academy, recruitment, even a membership drive in the early months of the year - that are usually beyond the remit of a captain. He makes no excuses, but you wonder if the demands of leading an increasingly divided dressing room have taken their toll.He has, he says, held meetings with Andrew Strauss twice in the last three weeks, as well as James Whitaker and Trevor Bayliss. But he has not scored the runs to persuade England to pick him. He will look out for the squad announcement on Friday more in hope than expectation.So, has it been frustrating to see his England hopes slip away? Its more frustrating that weve lost a couple of games that we should have won, he says. Ive tried not to think too much about England. Im averaging mid-30s. Im trying bloody hard to average 50. But its not been the case.Its difficult to know why. Out in the middle it feels pretty good. Its been challenging. Youve got to look inside yourself.My batting actually feels in a pretty good place. But, from an individual point of view - if Im going to play for England again - we havent really played on wickets that allow you to go out and get a big hundred.He has not given up, though. And whatever happens this winter - he is currently scheduled to play for Perth Scorchers in the Big Bash - he is not going to give up. It wont dim my desire to play at all, he says. At our medicals the other day [centrally contracted players - Bell still is one - have medicals, performance reviews and fitness tests each September] I said, if they dont take me this winter, I still want to play for England. Whether thats next summer or the following winter, I will keep going. Unless they tell me the door is closed, I will keep trying to do it for as long as I can. I still want to play.But I completely admit that I cant sit here and say Ive bashed the door down enough to say pick me. Id love to have five hundreds and an average of 65 and say pick me, but I cant.My desire, my will, my training, everything is all geared up to playing for England. I have been through the highs and lows of wearing that England shirt and I know how hard you have to work. The rewards are massive, but also you have some really tough days.Theyve been very clear that the door is never shut. If it is not to be this winter, I will be working hard to come back again a better player. If I start the season well again next year I hope to give myself a chance. Theres an Ashes tour in a year and a half. Experience will be valuable there, and if I am playing as well as I can, hopefully I will be on that trip.When I left Sharjah [on Englands tour of the UAE], it didnt feel like it would be my last game of cricket. And I didnt want it to be my last. I didnt feel in a particularly good place. I was pretty fatigued. But once I came out of that environment, I still believed I had the hunger to play some more.I know not everyone gets the opportunity to go out in the best way. So I am not sat here in dream world, thinking about being paraded around the SCG. I know there are massive challenges ahead. So if they dont take me now I am not going to give up. I will keep trying as hard as I can until I get told: Weve moved on.Warwickshire approach the game with some tricky selection decisions to make. William Porterfield, an experienced international opening batsman, is available but may miss out as the club maintain the successful partnership between Jonathan Trott (who has made three centuries and a half-century in the competition this season) and Sam Hain (the highest run-scorer in the competition this season).Equally, while their policy of playing three spinners has served them well on the road to Lords, they may decide to alter it in mind of the 10.30am start and what appears to be a well-grassed pitch. While the Lords square looks unusually dry, it seems the MCC plan to use the pitch from the final in next weeks Championship match between Middlesex and Yorkshire. Keith Barker, the leading wicket-taker among seamers in Division One, could therefore come into the side in place of Josh Poysden or Ateeq Javid.Either way, Bell is determined to savour the day. He wants to inspire a new generation of players and supporters as he was once inspired by his Warwickshire heroes. Now aged 34 he knows he might not pass this way again. These moments are precious. And so are talents like Bells. Catch him while you can.Ian Bell was speaking at the Coventry branch of Selco Builders Warehouse which hosted a special coaching event with pupils from Little Heath Primary School in Coventry. Selco is a leading builders merchant with 44 branches across the UK and are main shirt sponsors to Warwickshire CCC and Birmingham Bears Travis Best Jersey . The Cincinnati Reds remain perfect with their speedy rookie outfielder in the starting lineup. T. J. Warren Jersey . Oyama had six birdies and two bogeys at Kintetsu Kashikojima in the event also sanctioned by the Japan LPGA Tour. "I have been having this neck ache thats been affecting my golf recently," Oyama said. https://www.cheappacers.com/1483k-jakarr-sampson-jersey-pacers.html .Y. - Detroit goaltender Jonas Gustavsson has earned NHL first star of the week honours after winning in his first three appearances of the season. 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And, of course, there had to be one last turn of events, so he decommitted and showed up to school on national signing day in a Nick Saban-esque straw hat and faxed his letter of intent to Tuscaloosa.So, yes, Fosters was a recruitment full of drama. But for the teenager himself, it was exhausting. Back in 2013, while he was still living in Auburn and preparing to enroll at Alabama, he opened up about the way it affected him. He didnt trust anyone and refused to leave the house. He said that he wanted to act childish and cuss people out for the way they talked to him. He couldnt believe how one fan said he hoped hed tear his ACL. But more than anything, he felt the need to apologize to everyone and anyone he could.It was a business decision, he explained.In signing with Alabama, Foster did what he thought was best for him and his daughter. But at the same time, there was no ignoring the circus hed created. He had painted the picture himself. It was right there, tattooed on his forearm: a big stylized AU. When he originally committed to Auburn, he dressed his daughter in an orange and blue cheerleader outfit and held her up to say where he (thought) he would go to school. To go back on all of that was a matter of throwing gas on an already burning rivalry. Remember, this wasnt long after Toomers Oaks were poisoned and the Iron Bowl was about hate far more than friendly competition.Nearly four years later, Fosters contentious recruitment still bubbles beneath the surface. Hes a senior about to play in his last Iron Bowl this Saturday and weve finally arrived at the final chapter of his story.* * *Initially, Foster thought he may have made a mistake.He always knew going to Alabama wasnt going to be easy, but nothing prepared him for this. The depth chart at inside linebacker was stacked against him with the likes of Trey DePriest, C.J. Mosley and Reggie Ragland already in camp. Instead, he would have his patience tested on special teams.Coaches saw Foster as talented yet undisciplined. Defensive coordinator Kirby Smart said he relied too much on his instincts and kind of ran around and made plays. And while that was useful defending a kick return, it was a liability within the framework of the defense.Foster had been a star his whole life, but when he saw the field against Auburn as a freshman, he was essentially a bystander. He stood on the sideline when the famous Kick Six happened and Alabamas championship hopes were dashed.It took a toll on him not playing, he said, and he briefly considered transferring. Of the three teammates he planned on living with as a freshman -- Alvin Kamara, Dee Liner and Tyren Jones -- one left following the 2013 season and the others were gone a year later.I was a child as a freshman, Foster said. I didnt know any better.Fosters career would improve, but only incrementally. Although he was able to make his first career start as a sophomore in the season opener against West Virginia, he was quickly replaced when DePriest returned from a suspension. The hallmark moment of Fosters sophomore season came against LSU when he launched himself headlong into the chest of Leonard Fournette on a kickoff as time expired, sending the game into overtime and momentum into Alabamas favor for the eventual 20-13 win. Fournette would later call it the biggest hit Ive ever taken.But even then there was concern. The hit, while a spectacular piece of violence, lacked form. He exposed himself by leading with his helmet and for much of the early part of his career hed be plagued by injuries, including at least two concussions and several stingers.It was stressful at first, Foster said of dealing with the injuries and developing as a tackler, but I came along and had guys that patted me on the shoulder and told me it would be OK. I was down bad, but they brought me back up.As a junior last season, we finally saw the complete package from Foster. He won the starting job, appeared in every game and finished second on the team with 73 tackles. In a win against Auburn, he had a team-high six stops and in the plaayoff semifinal game he helped the defense pitch a shutout of Michigan State with four tackles and one pass breakup.ddddddddddddIn the lead-up to the national championship game against Clemson, Smart reflected on Fosters growth. The two had known one another since Foster was in the ninth grade and his decision to flip his commitment to Auburn hurt him. But when Foster reopened his recruitment, Smart was one of the first coaches through the door. Foster said that if Smart had gotten the Auburn job he was rumored to be in the running for, he would have signed with the Tigers.Reuben will always hold a special place in my heart, Smart said, with all hes been through as a child and done a great job developing. ... When you have a guy whos really talented and hes coachable, its kind of why we do this as coaches because you get to enjoy being around a kid whos grown up a lot.* * *Foster called out the defense, bent his knees slightly and eyed the USC backfield on first-and-10 early in the second quarter.Justin Davis took the handoff from Max Browne and veered to his left where a wide swath of empty green turf stretched out in front of him.But Foster shuffled, spun his hips and sprinted, running perpendicular with the length of the field. It was the perfect angle. Foster turned upfield, squared up Davis and threw a shoulder into his chest. It looked as if Foster had been shot out of a cannon, knocking Davis clear off his feet and throwing him back a few yards. All at once, AT&T Stadium groaned.It was only 3-0 at the time, but the message was sent loud and clear by Foster: Alabamas defense was on another level. The Tide would go on to win, 52-6.A couple of weeks later, Ole Miss quarterback Chad Kelly had the gall to not duck out of bounds with Foster chasing him. So Foster threw his shoulder in Kelly so hard it made the entire Ole Miss sideline flinch and caused fellow linebacker Ryan Andersons jaw to drop.I was scared for [Kelly], Anderson said. I dont know where he came from. I was running and it was like, Bop! Like what was that? I should have known it was 10.Anderson added: Hes 100 miles per hour on every play. He plays at one speed, and thats scary.Defensive end Dalvin Tomlinson said of Foster, I dont know if he knows how to hit anyone soft.It has been that way all season. Foster leads the team with 75 tackles and you can count on at least one stop per game that makes you raise your eyebrows.Pro Football Focus called Foster the most complete linebacker in the nation. On Monday, he was named one of five finalists for the Butkus Award.A few days earlier, he reinjured his wrist and had to leave the field during the first quarter against Chattanooga. He could have easily sat out the game against a cupcake FCS opponent, but trainers taped his hand up and he was back on the sideline in no time. During the first play back on the field, Foster split two offensive linemen and had a tackle for loss, club hand and all.Hes a warrior, said safety Ronnie Harrison. Hes battling through a lot of stuff right now and just continues to come in every day and works. He doesnt complain.Hes always talking to us. He brings the energy every day in practice. Hes like the biggest leader on our defense.This Saturday afternoon, Foster will lead the defense one last time in Bryant-Denny Stadium. The opponent: Auburn.True to his word, Foster never got rid of the AU tattoo on his forearm. And if you want to find them, there are still pictures floating around with his daughter in a blue and orange cheerleaders uniform from the second of his verbal commitments. But after this weekend, Fosters time as a player in the Iron Bowl will be over.His name wont leave the rivalrys history -- his story is too colorful for that to happen -- but this game will effectively serve as his parting shot.Four years ago, he apologized for the way he spurned Auburn. He was hurt and felt like an underdog going to Alabama, he said.But even back then, in the midst of a painful situation, he was embracing what the rivalry would mean.The Iron Bowl is going to be crazy, he said before he made the move from Auburn to Tuscaloosa. Any time I make a tackle or step on the field or even get near something its going to be, Boo! I tell myself if I hear that it wont do anything to me, Ill laugh. You boo me, Ill give you something to boo about. ' ' '