Bopara hit 17 fours and three sixes to score 124 off 125 balls

Ravi Bopara fired an unbeaten 124 as England dominated the first day of the two-day match against a Barbados Cricket Association President's XI.

Bopara, seeking to replace Andrew Flintoff for the fourth Test, found his form after being dropped on 23.

Tim Ambrose (74) and skipper Andrew Strauss (66) also claimed fifties as England declared on 351-8.

And Amjad Khan also made a good impression, taking two wickets as the hosts closed on 49-4.

Bopara and Khan, summoned as cover for Flintoff, made their marks just hours after completing a 41-hour long-haul trek from the England Lions tour in New Zealand.

The pair boarded four separate flights and Bopara said he would have to quickly get his body clock fully adjusted if he was to make the team for Thursday's Test.

"I would have no choice," said Bopara, who charged from 50 to 100 in just 34 balls. "I am a little bit on my way already because I didn't sleep during the day and that should help me massively.

"I lost where I was for a bit, I didn't even know what day it was. I woke up at about 3am and didn't get back to sleep. I got a bit sleepy at the start of the game but the physio told me to stay awake and I could sleep later.

"So I went in to bat, didn't think too much about it and tried to enjoy myself. Getting a hundred today gives me a massive boost and an opportunity."

Deputy wicketkeeper Ambrose, who could play on Thursday if Matt Prior's wife goes into labour, played fluently in his first match on the tour.

Ambrose walked into bat immediately after lunch when Strauss retired hurt - and lost Ian Bell (44) and Prior, for nought, in the opening hour of the restart.

Bopara and Ambrose put on a stand of 147 after England had fallen to 173-4 in the match, which is restricted to 90 overs per side in the first innings.

England, who trail the West Indies 1-0 after the draw in Antigua, are considering their options for the penultimate Test at the Kensington Oval after losing talismanic all-rounder Flintoff to a hip injury.

606: DEBATE Rashid is the cover as an all-rounder and I feel we need two spinners so I would give him a go slogger_6

Graeme Swann was left out because of an elbow problem but the spinner is confident he will be available for the fourth Test.

"I'm not sure what's wrong but the elbow just decided it wanted a week off," he told BBC Radio 5 Live.

"It's still probably about 60% but we have got three or four days before the Test match so it should be fine by then.

"If my arm is right I've probably done enough to warrant a place but you never know, we might turn up and it is an absolute flat belt and they'll just pick all the seamers. If they do then so be it."

Swann's absence means Monty Panesar and Adil Rashid have chances to impress in Barbados.

England also named paceman Ryan Sidebottom in their side, who hopes to prove his fitness after missing the third Test draw because of an Achilles injury.

Skipper Strauss was dropped on 19 after top-edging an attempted hook but then played a number of stylish shots to reach his 50 off 65 balls.

Alastair Cook (16) and Owais Shah (4) both fell cheaply to 6ft 7in 17-year-old fast bowler Jason Holder.

Ian Bell, who lost his place to Shah in the drawn third Test, sliced a catch off seamer Kevin Stoute, while Prior fell in similar fashion for a duck.

Sidebottom claimed one of the three wickets to fall before the close when a bouncer to 16-year-old Kraig Brathwaite was gloved down the leg-side to Ambrose.

Danish-born Khan had Kofi Hurdle, who he had clattered on the helmet in his first over, caught behind before claiming the wicket of all-rounder Rostin Chase - who got a thick edge into the slips two balls later.

Leg-spinner Adil Rashid then bagged another in the final over to bring a slightly premature close.

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