Monday 24 November 2014 16:35, UK
Ian Bell insists England want to play a "positive, aggressive" brand of cricket as they get ready for the start of the one-day series against Sri Lanka.
The tourists head into the opening match on Wednesday, live on Sky Sports, having recorded a comfortable victory in the only warm-up match they've managed to play in between prolonged periods of rain.
The importance of partnerships is huge in any one-day cricket. So that we're building and can then 'explode' at the end
Bell believes the team must lay the foundations for success in 50-over cricket by putting together partnerships at the top of the order, with this upcoming series vital preparation with a World Cup fast approaching.
"Stats-wise, I get told in the first 10 we're the same as anyone else in the world," he said. "So I don't necessarily agree we don't go hard at the top.
"But the importance of partnerships is huge in any one-day cricket. So that we're building and can then 'explode' at the end.
"We'll have to be adaptable (to conditions) but want to play a positive, aggressive brand of cricket as well."
The new opening combination of Moeen Ali and Alastair Cook did an excellent job against Sri Lanka A, with the former hitting the first six legitimate deliveries he faced to the boundary as they added 94 in a hurry.
However Bell is wary of people piling too much pressure on all-rounder Moeen to be the one to provide momentum in the opening overs, saying: "We can't put a lot pressure on Mo to do that all the time. He had a great start, but if they bowl well he's got to adapt his game to that as well."
Right-hander Bell himself made 16 not out at the SSC on Friday before bad light intervened and gave England the win using the Duckworth-Lewis method.
The second tour fixture was a washout at the P Sara Oval on Sunday, meaning Bell is one of just four England batsmen to have had a competitive innings before the seven-match series begins.
"It's not ideal, is it?" Bell said of the weather-hit preparations for the squad, though they did manage to practice after the fixture was cancelled.
"But I suppose, on this tour, we're going to get interrupted by rain all the way through."
Watch the first of seven one-dayers between England and Sri Lanka LIVE on Sky Sports 2 HD from 8.30am on Wednesday
