JUST over a week ago, Newham-born Ravinder Bopara recorded a maiden one-day century at Taunton that took Essex to the top of the Cheltenham and Gloucester Trophy South Conference and now the 21-year-old is hoping that further match-winning hundreds will follow in both forms of the game.

"It was a brilliant feeling to reach the century and now I'm looking for more consistent performances,"

Former England and Essex captain Keith Fletcher has the highest regard for Bopara and believes that he could become the next Essex player to win full international honours although he has a warning for the youngster.

Fletcher said: "He needs to listen to advice and take it into the middle."

He continued: "It is generally possible to tell when a boy is 16 or 17 years old whether he is going to have a cricketing future.

Observing Derek Pringle, Nasser Hussain, Paul Prichard and Neil Foster at those early ages, I could tell they were cricketers in the making. Alastair Cook was another." Cook is again plying his trade for England this week.

They are facing Sri Lanka in the second test match at Edgbaston, but meanwhile his Essex colleagues began a County Championship match against Gloucestershire at Chelmsford on Tuesday.

Then on Sunday, they entertain Sussex at the County Ground in the C&G Trophy before travelling to Croydon in south London to meet championship favourites Surrey in a four-day game on Wednesday.