FEATURE-Cricket-England's Bopara plans to prolong golden run

By John Mehaffey

LONDON, July 2 (Reuters) - Three consecutive ducks in his first three tests were the worst of times for Ravi Bopara. Centuries in his last three test innings are the best.

Through both early failure and recent success, England's new number three has tried to keep sport and life in perspective.

"I work very hard on the player I want to be (but) I didn't think too much about what happened in Sri Lanka. I didn't change a lot," he told reporters recently.

"I just try to enjoy it. You can put pressure on yourself and make too much fuss about it. I think it's important you go out and enjoy yourself. When you're a kid you don't worry about anything."

Bopara, who was dropped after scoring 42 runs in his first five test innings against Sri Lanka, seized the moment in the Caribbean this year when Andrew Flintoff flew home injured.

Selected at number six for the Barbados test, Bopara responded with 104. He was dropped for the next test when the selectors opted to play an extra bowler and keep faith with Owais Shah.

True to his philosophy, Bopara remained upbeat and was rewarded by winning selection ahead of Shah, Ian Bell and Michael Vaughan in the problematic number three spot for the opening test against West Indies at Lord's in the return series.