Bopara stakes claim for England Test place after impressing with the bat in Sri Lanka warm-up

Easy runs on an obliging surface at the Colombo CC ground did little to settle selection issues ahead of the series opener in Kandy, starting a week tomorrow, thanks largely to a dashing cameo innings of 40 from Ravi Bopara.

The Essex all-rounder did his prospects of securing a first Test cap no harm with a mixture of flamboyant strokes and resolute defence in the fading light as England reached 315 for six — with four of the 'dismissals' via players retiring 'out'.

Owais Shah, who scored a steady 38, may be in pole position to fill the No 6 slot, but Bopara's eye-catching contribution suggested he may yet sneak up on the rails.

The 22-year-old had already made a good impression with his fielding, and the fact that he offers another bowling option will work in his favour.

A defiant half-century against Sri Lanka during the World Cup earlier this year suggestedhealso possesses the composure to handle pressure, despite a lack of experience.

Yesterday there was little pressure, but Bopara's collection of dexterous pulls, on-drives and deft late cuts will have registered with Vaughan and coach Peter Moores nonetheless.

England's need to further assess their options means the desire to field the Test team en masse in the final warm-up match, starting on Sunday, is likely to be sacrificed in the interests of experimentation.

Asked if the team likely to play in Kandy will be sent out for the next three-day game, Vaughan said: 'Not necessarily. It is about trying to balance it right.

'I'm a bit closer to knowing what I feel is the XI for Kandy, but there are still a couple of places up for grabs. We can rest a couple of players who have played a lot of cricket recently, but ideally you want to pick as many as possible who are going to play in the Test.'

On the whole, it was mission accomplished for England yesterday, as the bulk of the top order spent ample time in the middle.

Alastair Cook looked in fine touch during his unbeaten 63, while Vaughan, Ian Bell and Paul Collingwood all settled well in their first tour outings.

The only batsman to fail was Kevin Pietersen, but he will not be losing any sleep after receiving a surprise brute of a bouncer from Nuwan Kulasekara.

The big dilemma remains which seamers to pick. The fact that Steve Harmison was only able to send down six costly overs in the match did not help, but the Durham paceman may yet earn another three-day trial before the Test series, such is the captain's belief in his potential to cause devastation.

'Steve has been crucial for us in the past and it's great to see him here,' said Vaughan. 'He could be a huge threat for us if he gets it right. He will be looking forward to getting into the XI for the three-day game and getting some more overs under his belt.'