VARUN Chopra announced his return to form with 155 as Essex reached 318-5 on the opening day of their County Championship match with Gloucestershire at Bristol.

It was only the second time in first-class cricket that Chopra had reached three figures, the previous coming against the same opposition on his debut at Chelmsford in May 2006.

On that occasion, he was dropped at second slip before he had scored but at Bristol yesterday, he needed no such good fortune as he played faultlessly to reach the landmark.

Chopra was dropped for the past two championship matches in favour of John Maunders and he went into the match with just 279 championship runs this summer that included just one half-century from his nine games.

After an understandably cautious start, the 21-year-old started to unleash number of delightful drives and strokes particularly in the arc between backward point and mid-off.

That was illustrated with three consecutive fours all to the cover boundary off medium-pacer Anthony Ireland and he was destined to reached his fifty with a single off the same bowler.

Chopra hit his 50 off 105 deliveries and struck eight boundaries. The Barking-born player hit his next 50 runs from another 62 balls that included seven boundaries.

Essex coach Paul Grayson said: “I’m delighted for Varun, he has lacked a bit of form this season but he showed an excellent technique today.

“We hold him high regard and it’s good that he’ll be able to go away this winter and work on a few things with his game but knowing that he’s got a big score behind him.

“He batted very responsibly today and took the opportunity to spend decent time in the middle which is what he needed and showed the benefits of that with a quality innings.” Essex won the toss and Chopra was to dominate events until he became the fifth and final wicket to fall on a slow wicket.

The first was that of Maunders who had contributed 17 when he was caught by wicket-keeper Steve Snell to give Ireland the first of his three wickets.

Then, for once, Ravi Bopara flattered to deceive. He got off the mark with a boundary and then added two successive fours in one over before a promising start ended on 16 when he drove Ireland straight into the hands of square-leg to leave the visitors 52-2.

Mark Pettini never looked fluent in reaching 22, being dropped at third slip on one and then, when he had scored 20, he offered a chance off a leading edge that David Brown at mid-wicket failed to make.

But the Essex captain lasted two more deliveries before Hamish Marshall held a second slip catch off an intended drive to end a 50 runs partnership for the fourth wicket that had taken the total onto 172.

Jaik Mickleburgh contributed 17 before he perished attempting to cut a delivery from debutant Rob Wodman that ended in the gloves of the keeper, but James Foster raced to a 58-ball 50.

He and Chopra had advanced the total to 310 although the light was beginning to fade when Chopra perished when Steve Kirby struck him on the back foot to end an innings spanning 246 balls that embraced 21 boundaries.

It was little surprise that the umpires allowed just a couple more overs before drawing a veil over proceedings for the day with 13 overs lost and leaving Foster unbeaten on 68 and Ryan ten Doeschate 3 not out.