Bopara an instant hit

Ravi Bopara celebrates his century - just hours after landing from New Zealand

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Ravi Bopara hit an attacking hundred to make an immediate impact on England’s tour of West Indies.

Bopara struck an unbeaten 124 just hours after completing a long-haul trek from New Zealand as England piled up 351 for seven declared against a Barbados Cricket Association President’s XI.

Summoned as cover for Andrew Flintoff, who has been ruled out of the fourth Test next Thursday, Bopara boarded four separate flights accompanied by England Lions colleague Amjad Khan.

Twenty-eight-year-old Khan also made a good first impression, claiming two wickets as the hosts closed on 49 for four.

They started their marathon journey in Christchurch on Friday afternoon and travelled through numerous time zones via Auckland, Los Angeles and Miami before arriving in Barbados yesterday.

Bopara, dropped early in his innings at the Windward Cricket Club, launched a vicious assault on a young home attack after tea, charging from 50 to 100 in just 34 balls.

The 23-year-old did not come in until number seven but pushed his claim for inclusion as Flintoff’s replacement at the Kensington Oval on Thursday.

Another Test hopeful Tim Ambrose contributed 74 in his first outing for England this winter.

Their stand of 146 was dominated by Bopara, however, who showed no signs of jet lag in his bid to add to the three Test caps he earned in Sri Lanka 14 months ago.

Ambrose’s 50 came off 74 deliveries while Bopara reached his own landmark, just before tea, from three fewer, having hit eight fours and a straight six off off-spinner Rostin Chase.

Tim Ambrose hits a quick 74 as he prepares himself to replace Matt Prior in the Trinidad Test

That blow rubbed salt into the wounds for Chase, who had Bopara dropped on 23 at deep midwicket in the previous over.

Bopara then upped the ante after tea, savagely attacking giant teenage fast bowler Jason Holder in one over, which included two more sixes and two fours.

He celebrated three figures shortly after the departure of Ambrose, whose only involvement previously during the 2008-09 winter has been as a substitute fielder, caught from a tame chip to midwicket.

England were keen for Ambrose to get some action as he is certain to play at least one of the final two Tests.

First-choice gloveman Matt Prior is currently scheduled to return home on March 2, the final evening of the Barbados match, to attend the birth of his first child.

However, if his wife Emily goes into labour before Thursday’s start, Prior will quit the tour immediately, meaning his former Sussex team-mate Ambrose would be thrust into the breach.

Ambrose walked in to bat immediately after lunch when captain Andrew Strauss retired out on 66, and lost both Ian Bell and Prior, for nought, in the opening hour of the restart.

Bell, currently out of the Test side, guided to gully for 44 while Prior mis-hit to point in the space of two overs.

England should have lost more wickets but Strauss was put down at backward point, on 19, after top-edging an attempted hook off fast bowler Barrington Yearwood early on.

Andrew Strauss continued his rich vein of form with another fifty on the tour of West Indies

Four fielders converged on the ball but wicketkeeper Ronaldo Arthur called for the catch, despite being furthest away, and contrived to bodge the opportunity.

England - asked to bat first in a two-day game restricted to 90 overs on first innings - lost Alastair Cook in the second over after morning drinks when he helped a delivery from the 6ft 7ins Holder, from around the wicket, straight to mid-on.

Holder, 17, then added a second scalp when Owais Shah spiralled an attempted pull down to fine leg where Corey Edwards tumbled forward to take the catch after initial misjudgment.

Moments earlier, Strauss continued his recent rich form by acknowledging a 65-ball 50.

As well as giving run-outs to tour newcomers Bopara and Khan, England included Ryan Sidebottom, who was deemed fit to play despite an Achilles problem which assistant coach Andy Flower termed ’chronic’ in the aftermath of the Antigua Test draw.

Sidebottom claimed one of the three wickets to fall before the close when a bouncer to 16-year-old batting prodigy Kraig Brathwaite was gloved down the leg-side to Ambrose.

Danish-born Khan then had Kofi Hurdle, who he had clattered on the helmet in his first over, caught behind in his fourth.

All-rounder Chase then got a thick edge into the slips two balls later as the President’s XI got off to a disastrous start.

Leg-spinner Adil Rashid then bagged another in the final over to bring a slightly premature close.