England batted first and lost new captain Andrew Strauss and Alastair Cook cheaply before Bell, who missed out on the Indian Premier League cut, came in and made 28.
A slow ball from Gayle had the Warwickshire player in all sorts of trouble and he was caught by Smith to leave England on 71-3.
Kevin Pietersen, a man of much controversy, rescued his country with an innings of 97.
Andrew Flintoff was 43 not out and Matt Prior 27 not out as England closed on 236-5 after 88 overs.