Ravi Bopara celebrated his recall to the England squad with a hundred for Essex on Sunday.
Bopara was brought in on Sunday as a replacement for the injured Ian Bell ahead of the third and final one-day international against Bangladesh at Edgbaston on Monday.
Having been allowed to play for Essex, before joining up with the England squad later Sunday, Bopara made 105 not out in a Twenty20 county match against Somerset at Chelmsford, although his innings didn't prevent a six wicket loss.
Bell broke his foot while fielding during Bangladesh's dramatic five-run win in the second match of the series here on Saturday and had to hobble out as last man, with a runner, in order to prolong England's hopes of victory in the final over.
As it was he didn't face a ball, with Warwickshire colleague Jonathan Trott caught behind for 94 as Bangladesh wrapped up a sensational victory -- their first against England in any format -- with three balls to spare.
Bell, who has fractured the fifth metatarsal bone in his left foot, is expected to be out of action for several weeks and now, with the Bangladesh series level at 1-1, England have recalled Bopara.
The 25-year-old Essex all-rounder, also a handy medium-pacer, played the last of his 50 ODIs against New Zealand at the Champions Trophy in Johannesburg in November.
While he was in the England squad that won this year's World Twenty20, Bopara made just one appearance in the Caribbean after Kevin Pietersen had flown home briefly to attend the birth of his first child.
And when Pietersen was ruled out of the Bangladesh series with a thigh injury, he was still overlooked by the selectors when they picked their original squad.
However, like Bell, Bopara has been in good form for the England Lions, the national A side, and made 168 in their 124-run triangular series one-day win over West Indies A in Worcester on July 4.
Bopara was brought in on Sunday as a replacement for the injured Ian Bell ahead of the third and final one-day international against Bangladesh at Edgbaston on Monday.
Having been allowed to play for Essex, before joining up with the England squad later Sunday, Bopara made 105 not out in a Twenty20 county match against Somerset at Chelmsford, although his innings didn't prevent a six wicket loss.
Bell broke his foot while fielding during Bangladesh's dramatic five-run win in the second match of the series here on Saturday and had to hobble out as last man, with a runner, in order to prolong England's hopes of victory in the final over.
As it was he didn't face a ball, with Warwickshire colleague Jonathan Trott caught behind for 94 as Bangladesh wrapped up a sensational victory -- their first against England in any format -- with three balls to spare.
Bell, who has fractured the fifth metatarsal bone in his left foot, is expected to be out of action for several weeks and now, with the Bangladesh series level at 1-1, England have recalled Bopara.
The 25-year-old Essex all-rounder, also a handy medium-pacer, played the last of his 50 ODIs against New Zealand at the Champions Trophy in Johannesburg in November.
While he was in the England squad that won this year's World Twenty20, Bopara made just one appearance in the Caribbean after Kevin Pietersen had flown home briefly to attend the birth of his first child.
And when Pietersen was ruled out of the Bangladesh series with a thigh injury, he was still overlooked by the selectors when they picked their original squad.
However, like Bell, Bopara has been in good form for the England Lions, the national A side, and made 168 in their 124-run triangular series one-day win over West Indies A in Worcester on July 4.
Essex v Somerset - match report
Somerset beat Essex by 6 wickets with five balls to spare to leapfrog their opponents and move into second place in the Friends Provident South Division of the twenty20.
Chasing the home side’s 173-6, opener and captain Marcus Trescothick put his side in the driving seat with his third successive half-century in the competition hitting 78 from 51 balls to put the Sabres in charge and formulate the victory that ensured them a place in the knockout stages.
Trescothick and James Hildreth put on 101 in 12 overs for the second wicket as Eagles skipper James Foster rotated his bowlers regularly in a bid to break the stand but when Tim Phillips finally had Trescothick caught at deep cover by Grant Flower, the visitors had victory within their grasp.
Nineteen runs were required with three overs and 8 wickets remaining and although two wickets then fell to Ravi Bopara, the first with the total on 156 when Keiron Pollard was caught in the deep by Jaik Mickleburgh for 16 followed by Hildreth for 43 when he was leg before wicket to leave Somerset 162-4, the visitors were not to be denied.
Eleven runs from Chris Wright who bowled the penultimate over left just a single needed for victory and Jos Buttler made no mistake sending the first ball of the final over bowled by David Masters to the boundary.
Earlier Bopara had celebrated his return to the England one-day squad by becoming the third Essex player to carry his bat through the innings in twenty20 cricket when he scored 105 not out having faced 62 balls and struck 6 sixes and 8 fours but only Mark Pettini (21) and Alastair Cook (20) managed double figures in support.
The defeat, only the second in their last nine matches in the competition, leaves the Eagles requiring one point from their remaining three matches to guarantee a place in the quarter-finals.
Chasing the home side’s 173-6, opener and captain Marcus Trescothick put his side in the driving seat with his third successive half-century in the competition hitting 78 from 51 balls to put the Sabres in charge and formulate the victory that ensured them a place in the knockout stages.
Trescothick and James Hildreth put on 101 in 12 overs for the second wicket as Eagles skipper James Foster rotated his bowlers regularly in a bid to break the stand but when Tim Phillips finally had Trescothick caught at deep cover by Grant Flower, the visitors had victory within their grasp.
Nineteen runs were required with three overs and 8 wickets remaining and although two wickets then fell to Ravi Bopara, the first with the total on 156 when Keiron Pollard was caught in the deep by Jaik Mickleburgh for 16 followed by Hildreth for 43 when he was leg before wicket to leave Somerset 162-4, the visitors were not to be denied.
Eleven runs from Chris Wright who bowled the penultimate over left just a single needed for victory and Jos Buttler made no mistake sending the first ball of the final over bowled by David Masters to the boundary.
Earlier Bopara had celebrated his return to the England one-day squad by becoming the third Essex player to carry his bat through the innings in twenty20 cricket when he scored 105 not out having faced 62 balls and struck 6 sixes and 8 fours but only Mark Pettini (21) and Alastair Cook (20) managed double figures in support.
The defeat, only the second in their last nine matches in the competition, leaves the Eagles requiring one point from their remaining three matches to guarantee a place in the quarter-finals.
~ Photo courtesy: Getty Images
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