WHAT does Ravi Bopara have up his sleeve next?

Not only is he scoring Test Match hundreds, he’s celebrating in style as well.

I asked him what those hand signals were all about after he scored his brilliant hundred at Lord’s against the West Indies last week.

He said he was writing his name up on the Lord’s board which lists all the players who have scored a century and taken a five-for at the cricketing pantheon.

This comes after he copied Usain Bolt’s celebration from the Olympics after his century in the Caribbean during the winter.

I’m led to believe we could be seeing a few more Ravi-celebrations in the coming months too.

When it comes to my other Essex team-mates, Jason Gallian has the most interesting on-pitch celebration.

Last season, we saw him go past 100 and turn his bat upside down and pretend he was unscrewing a bottle of Champagne before spraying it around.

Napes (Graham Napier) likes to get pumped up when he takes a wicket, as does David Masters, but Tony Palladino is probably the winner for sheer excitement. I musn’t exclude Maurice Chambers’ dancing during last season’s Twenty20, though!

As for me, I don’t have anything planned at the moment, but we’ll have to wait and see.

When Ravi came back and played for us on Sunday against Lancashire, he was pretty understated about his achievements for England, and that is how he is.

We’re all delighted for him, even though it means he probabaly won’t be playing much cricket for Essex this summer.

He looked a great player from a young age and during the last few years he has really kicked on, scoring such a volume of runs that England had to pick him.

He got his chance in Test cricket and then in the IPL and has stepped up each time.

However, it is great for us that he still really wants to play for us, when he can.

HOME TRUTHS NEEDED

We suffered another very disappointing defeat in the championship last week, this time against Northamptonshire.

A few home truths were said after the defeat to Kent, and then a few more had to be said after the game at Northampton.

We started so well, with Varun Chopra and Jaik Mickleburgh posting a decent opening stand.

But we can’t collapse like we did and expect to win matches. Like in the Kent game, we lost sessions badly – it wasn’t as though they were edging them, we were losing convincingly.

There was a bit in the wicket, but it was a bat-first wicket and wasn’t going to get any better. We dragged the game back by bowling fairly well and then having a good second innings when we went past 300, but our bowling let us down when they needed 175 to win.

It is the same stuff costing us – not enough first innings runs and inconsistant bowling.

However, four-day cricket is a gradual process and it takes time to build a successful team.

We managed to come back strongly in the one-day games against Lancashire and Glamorgan.

Danish Kaneria was brilliant, as was James Foster and the schedule of cricket meant the games came around quickly so we didn’t have time to sulk.

We owed Glamorgan a bit of revenge after they gave us our only Friends Provident beating of the season so far and the victory in Wales puts us in a good position to qualify for the quarter-final.

DAVID'S RETURN WAS MASTERFUL

MANY were left wondering why David Masters (pictured) was excluded from the side for the championship game at Northamptonshire.

The fact is, he was carrying a slight hip niggle and we decided to give him a rest.

If there is a chance to give our bowlers a rest when they are not 100 per cent, we will do it.

He is a huge part of our plans and his figures have already been exceptional this season, but we wanted him to recharge his batteries. He responded by taking 3-19 and 3-21!

I QUITE LIKED THE SWALEC VENUE

WE played at the SWALEC Stadium in Wales – the venue for the first Ashes Test this summer.

Not everyone agress with the ECB’s decision to play the First Test away from Lord’s, but I have to say it is a great ground.

The facilities are great and the development really looks the business.

There is a bit of concern about the longevity of the pitch, though I’m sure they will do what they need to do to make it last five days by the time the Aussies are ready for battle.

I felt a bit sorry for Glamorgan because they were playing in this big stadium which was almost empty.

Although our ground at Chelmsford is smaller, we get some big crowds and it is pleasing to see so many people come and watch us.

FISHING FOR SOME TROUT WITH NAPES

WITH no match until Sunday when we face Northamptonshire in the Friends Provident Trophy, I’m taking the chance to get some fishing in.

Me, Napes and James Middlebrook’s next door neighbour are heading to Danbury to hunt some trout and relax.

And it was James’ birthday yesterday so we’ll go for a spot of lunch before we are in action again.

Have I got him a present? Not yet!