Bopara is bidding to tie down the number three position

England centurion Ravi Bopara says the hosts can yet go on to post an imposing first innings total after a mixed start to the Lord's Test against West Indies.

Bopara's unbeaten 118 was the only high point for England, who survived six dropped catches and were reduced to 289-7 at the close on day one.

"Our aim at the start was 400 plus and that would still be our aim," Bopara told BBC Radio 5 Live.

"It's going to be hard work but I'll do my best to help make sure we do it."

The 24-year-old has made a fine start in his bid to tie down the number three position ahead of this summer's Ashes.

He was dropped on 76 and 100, and survived a strong lbw shout on 40, but showed impressive resilience to hold England's innings together, batting with patience, poise and occasional flair.

"I just went out and tried to do my best," said Bopara. "I'm playing for England and whether I open the batting or bat three, four, five or six I just do my best for the team. Today was my day and I'm very happy.

"The luck was definitely with me towards the latter part of my innings - when I was dropped on 100 I actually thought I was gone so it was nice to see it go down.

"It's one of those pitches on which you're never quite in. It was swinging all day, you can't get too expansive and hopefully our bowlers can exploit those conditions."

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"I remember starting out as a youngster with Essex I had no responsibility, I actually felt like a youngster in the team and I never used to get any runs," said Bopara, who impressed while playing for King's XI Punjab in the second season of the Indian Premier League recently.

"I'd get pretty little 20s, 30s or 40s and then get out but when I feel like there's responsibility on me I feel that brings the best out of me, definitely.

"Things are going well. (Former England captain) Graham Gooch always told me that when things are going well make sure you make it last a long time because every player goes through that dip.

"I'm sure I will go through that at some stage in my career but the way things are going at the moment I'm trying to make it last as long as possible."

England have handed debuts to seam bowlers Graham Onions and Tim Bresnan on a pitch that offered West Indies plenty of swing and seam movement.

"If the lower order can face about 100 balls between them and I'll bat at the other end then hopefully we'll get a really good score on the board," he added.

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"This pitch keeps you honest, there's a bit in it and the way our bowlers have been bowling for their counties and how West Indies batted against England Lions (in the tourists' 10-wicket defeat), hopefully we can exploit those conditions and get stuck into them early.

"Our bowlers have been resting up there on the balcony and they will be licking their lips, especially with it swinging. The likes of James Anderson and Tim Bresnan, who are good swing bowlers, will exploit these conditions well."

The other stand-out performer on day one was Windies paceman Fidel Edwards, who returned tremendous figures of 4-53 but knows his day could have been much better had the West Indies not been so slipshod in the field.

"I'll take getting four wickets in Test cricket - and I hope, tomorrow, if we can take our chances, we can get the rest as cheaply as possible," said the Barbadian fast bowler.

"Ravi got dropped off me in Barbados and scored a hundred there and it's happened again here. But, in Test cricket, you've got to move on.

"It probably could have been a lot better. But Test cricket is pretty hard and having them 289-7 - we'll take that any day."

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