Eoin Morgan has confirmed that Ian Bell will open the batting when England step up their preparations for the World Cup against an ACT XI in Canberra on Monday.

The game acts as a warm-up for the tri-series with Australia and India, and it is Bell, rather than Alex Hales, who has been given the chance to impress alongside Moeen Ali at the top of the order.

"The top three will be Ali, Bell and James Taylor," England skipper Morgan told reporters. "The first opportunity goes to those guys.

"Belly is a class act, somebody we've looked to for a long time to score a heavy weight of runs. He's pretty key at the top of the order. All three lads look in great form. Opportunity lands with them and we'll see how they go.

"I think the guts of the side are pretty strong but there are a couple of areas that do need addressing so opportunities will be there for guys to prove themselves."

The 2015 Cricket World Cup begins next month.