AT the start of this season, Ravi Bopara told anyone that would listen that he was going to be Essex's best player in 2008.

The 23-year-old was true to his word, plundering 1,795 runs in all competitions to lead the county to the Friends Provident Trophy and NatWest Pro40 Division Two title.

Bopara also vowed to score enough runs to force his way back into the England Test squad after a disappointing winter in Sri Lanka.

Having done just that by being called up for last month's fourth Test against South Africa and being awarded an increment contract by the ECB, Bopara completed a summer to remember by being named Cricket Writers' Club Young Cricketer of the Year.

The Newham-born player fought off the challenge of England team-mate and 2006 winner Stuart Broad, 2007 winner Adil Rashid, the Yorkshire leg-spinner, Kent opener Joe Denly and Hampshire spinner Liam Dawson to win the prestigious prize.

And Bopara believes his recognition from the cricketing press could be the catalyst for a memorable winter during which he will take part in the Stanford Super Series in Antigua before touring both India and the West Indies.

“Hopefully this can be the start of bigger things for me, away on tour with England this winter,” he said.

“I had a look at the list of previous winners and there are some very big stars who have won this award, so it is a big honour.”

Among those previous were Bopara’s England colleagues Alastair Cook (2005), Ian Bell (2004), James Anderson (2003), Owais Shah (2001) and Andrew Flintoff (1998).

Going further back, Surrey’s Mark Ramprakash, former England captains Nasser Hussain and Mike Atherton and Australian Test star Andrew Symonds have all been recipients of the award since it was inaugurated in 1984.

Having joined such illustrious company, Bopara is likely feature in Essex's final two LV County Championship Division Two matches of the season before jetting out to Antigua, where he will be hoping to take part in the Stanford Twenty20 for $20million on November 1.

The first of those matches began with the visit of Warwickshire to Chelmsford this morning for a match Essex simply must win to have any chance of securing promotion.

Teenage batsman Jaik Mickleburgh, who scored 60 on debut at Leicestershire last month, is set for a re-call at the expense of Zimbabwe veteran Grant Flower.

Batsman John Maunders, who has signed a short-term deal with the county, will keep his place while Tony Palladino will come in for the injured Graham Napier.

Second-placed Warwickshire, who sit 17 points ahead of their hosts, have re-called Scottish batsman Navdeep Poonia after left-hander Ian Westwood was ruled out with a wrist injury.

The Bears also include England wicketkeeper Tim Ambrose and New Zealand paceman Chris Martin in a 12-man squad.

Essex: (from) Pettini (capt), Gallian, Maunders, Chopra, Bopara, Foster (wkt), Mickleburgh, ten Doeschate, Middlebrook, Wright, Masters, Palladino, Flower.

Warwickshire: (from) Maddy (capt), Frost, Trott, Troughton, Ambrose (wkt), Clarke, Botha, Salisbury, Rankin, Carter, Martin, Woakes.