Ravi Bopara believes his nightmare in Sri Lanka spurred him on to his current run of form that brought a third consecutive Test century in today’s second Test against West Indies at Chester-le-Street.

Essex team-mates Alastair Cook (126 not out) and Bopara (108) put on 213 for the second wicket in a total of 302 for two, as the hosts moved towards securing the draw that would clinch a series victory.

Bopara’s streak is in stark contrast to his experiences after making his Test debut on the sub-continent in 2007, which included three straight ducks and a subsequent spell in the international wilderness.

“Sri Lanka was one of worst times of my cricket career,” he said.

“I went with high hopes and reckon I came back better, tougher. It made me work harder and hopefully it’s showing now.”

Bopara’s knock was relatively fluent compared to Cook’s, and the opener admitted afterwards he is finding life in the middle tough at present.

“It’s been a battle for the last 12 months and it’s just nice to score some runs,” Cook said.

“I never make it look easy. It’s frustrating with Ravi at the other end, who does make it look so easy.

“But it’s about how many you get and not how you get them.”

The pitch looked slow and lifeless for much of the first day but Cook believes it will become more challenging as the match progresses.

“I think we’ve definitely had the best of it,” he said, after captain Andrew Strauss apparently called it right having won this morning’s toss.

“It’s only going to go one way now.”

Bopara’s hat-trick of consecutive tons added his name to a list containing four all-time greats — Herbert Sutcliffe, Denis Compton, Geoff Boycott and Graham Gooch — as England racked up 302 for two on day one of the second npower Test, on the back of his 108 and Cook's unbeaten 126.

In a second-wicket stand of 213, the Essex pair effectively batted the tourists out of a contest they must somehow still try to win to level the two-match series and avoid conceding the Wisden Trophy in record time since belatedly regaining it little more than two months ago.

While Cook’s six-hour tour de force was chanceless, the opener’s effort had a stodgier look to it than Bopara’s — which did contain one moment of fortune on 51 when wicketkeeper Denesh Ramdin failed to hold a diving chance down the leg-side off Lionel Baker.

Cook reached his ninth Test hundred shortly before Bopara’s third, the left-hander hitting 11 boundaries from 209 balls and the number three reaching his notable milestone with 12 fours and a six from 183.

The only significant regret for England could be that so few people took their opportunity to see the Bopara and Cook show live, at a ground which can accommodate almost 16,000 but was less than a third full — and is likely to be similarly unoccupied today too.