Hampshire’s unbeaten Royal London One-Day Cup start ended by Ravi Bopara’s brilliance for Essex????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

The ex-England star smashed an almost flawless 89 with the bat before he celebrated figures of three for 39 with his medium pacers as the visitors went down by 111-runs at Chelmsford.

Bopara put on 150 with Ryan ten Doeschate (89) helping Essex post a good total of 341-6, against a team that had won their first four South Group matches this term.

Former Hampshire fast bowler Matt Coles claimed four wickets as his old club lost wickets at regular intervals – despite Rilee Rossouw’s high-quality 93.

Having decided to bat first, debutant Rishi Patel put on 60 for the first wicket with Sir Alastair Cook as Essex made a good start.

Patel, who scored a record-equalling five centuries for the second XI last season, aggressively reached a quick-fire 35 before he and his opening partner both departed within two overs of each other.

Former England Test skipper Cook, who has only managed to averages 20 in this format this season, edged Brad Wheal behind.

Patel then picked out Wheal at long on and then Dan Lawrence was bowled by Liam Dawson.

A below-par score looked on the cards for Essex when Tom Westley tickled a delivery that rose on him behind to hand James Fuller his maiden Hampshire wicket – and left the hosts on 147 for four.

But Bopara and ten Doeschate joined together in the 29th over to rebuild and accelerate.

Both reached half-centuries – Bopara off 57 balls and ten Doeschate in just 39 deliveries – which included seven boundaries.

The century stand came up in 81 balls but Bopara was given a life – the ball after dispatching Kyle Abbott into the River Can – when Mason Crane downed a chance at deep point.

The partnership reached 150, an Essex high for the fifth-wicket against Hampshire, but without another run being added Bopara departed for 89.

Paul Walter arrived at the crease and clobbered a maximum off his first ball before Dutchman ten Doeschate tanked Fuller over the ropes three balls later.

Ten Doeschate fell for 89, having passed 6,000 List A runs, when he was run out by Crane.

But Walter crashed another six to end on 22 from 14 balls as Essex reached a par 341-6.

Hampshire’s reply started slowly as they lost both openers and Sam Northeast within the first 13 overs.

Peter Siddle had Tom Alsop lbw while swinging across the line before Markram skied to Jamie Porter at mid-on.

Ex-Kent skipper Northeast then handed wicketkeeper Robbie White a steepling snatch – the latter two to Coles – leaving Hampshire 37 for three.

James Vince and Rossouw guided Hampshire back on track with a 77-run stand for the fourth-wicket, but they couldn’t catch up with the required run-rate.

Hampshire’s skipper, on the back of a career-best 190 against Gloucestershire on Friday, eased through the gears and reached 47 before slog-sweeping Lawrence to Walter at cow corner.

Dawson fell soon after when he slashed Bopara to point, but Rossouw continued his swashbuckling innings with a six into the pavilion.

The South African and new man Gareth Berg gave Hampshire hope again with a useful 79-run partnership but the latter steered to short third-man before James Fuller was bowled by Bopara..

Rossouw departed seven short of a century when he chased a ball down leg side to top edge to short leg.

The result was secured when Abbott scythed to Porter at third man, for a record equalling four catches in an innings for an outfielder for Essex, and Wheal was bowled.