201*: Ravi Bopara Double Century Breaks Records

Despite not fulfilling his potential in Sri Lanka for the England Test side, Ravi Bopara today showed why he should be involved in the England setup.

Playing for Essex in the Friends Provident trophy quarter-final at Grace Road, Bopara hit 201 from just 138 balls, including 18 fours and 10 sixes! Essex ended up with 350 from their fifty overs and their Leicestershire opponents fell way short of the substantial target.

Bopara's score goes in 7th place in the all-time List A one-day scores, being only the eighth player to score a double century in the limited-overs game. Bopara also beat Essex's highest one day score by two. The previous holder was Graham Gooch who hit 198* against Sussex in 1982.

Bopara chooses a terrific time to show such great form, with the One Day International Series against the Black Caps starting on June 15th and the Twenty20 International two days beforehand.

It must be said, a player who can do this will want to improve on his current ODI average of just 27.50. He will also wish to emulate his domestic form on the international scene and add more to his solitary fifty.

The full list of players to score a double century in a one day match:

268   A.D. Brown         Surrey v Glamorgan                        Oval           2002

222* R.G. Pollock         Eastern Province v Border           East London   1974/75

207  Mohammad Ali      Customs v Defence                     Sialkot           2004/05

206   A.I. Kallicharran   Warwickshire v Oxfordshire         Birmingham      1984

203   A.D. Brown         Surrey v Hampshire                    Guildford      1997

202* A. Barrow          Natal v South Africa African XI       Durban         1975/76

201* R. Bopara          Essex v Leicestershire                  Leicester        2008

201   V.J. Wells          Leicestershire v Berkshire             Leicester         1996