RAVI Bopara and James Foster collected long-awaited and emotional centuries after compiling a record sixth-wicket stand of 229 as Essex kept Warwickshire in the field for more than five sessions at a sweltering Chelmsford.

Bopara had gone nearly three years without a County Championship ton to his name.

But by the time the England international was out just after tea, having batted for eight hours, he was within eight runs of a double-century.

Foster was even more demonstrative when he reached his first three-figure total for nearly 13 months as he leapt in the air and pumped his fist three times in the direction of the home changing room.

It was a perfect repost after he had been ousted from wicketkeeping duties for the first four County Championship games of the season by Adam Wheater on his return to the county.

Foster’s 66-over stand with Bopara was a record for an Essex sixth-wicket against Warwickshire – beating the 140 set by Keith Fletcher and Allan Border at Edgbaston in 1988.

It enabled the Division One leaders to declare five overs post-tea, just after the third new-ball had been taken, on 541/9.

By the close, Warwickshire were on 56/2 and still 332 runs short of their follow-on target as the visitors attempt to avoid a fourth innings defeat in seven County Championship matches this summer.

Bopara’s most recent century had been completed on July 1, 2014, against Gloucestershire, also at Chelmsford.

Since his last ton, Bopara had been dismissed in the nineties on three occasions - including twice on 99 - in the past 12 months alone.

Bopara clipped Jeetan Patel past backward point for the single that took him to the 27th first-class century of his career.

At that point he had been at the crease for 221 balls.

By the time he went to a tired-looking heave-ho against Patel 158 balls later, playing all around it, Bopara had hit 16 fours and three sixes, with two of them straight and long from part-time spinner Andrew Umeed’s only over.

Foster, meanwhile, had not claimed a century since his 113 against Northamptonshire last May, but outscored Bopara for much of their time together.

He brushed off a nasty blow to the side of his helmet from a Boyd Rankin bouncer by hooking Rikki Clarke for the four that took him to a 159-ball century.

By the time he was caught at wide mid-on by a tumbling Keith Barker for 121, he had faced 182 balls and hit 16 fours and a towering six over long-leg.

After Foster’s departure, Warwickshire claimed three wickets for 32 as the Essex tail joined Bopara in adding quick runs towards the declaration.

Sunny Singh raced in from the long-on boundary to dismiss Paul Walter for a bright 16 before trapping Simon Harmer lbw.

Patel bowled Bopara to claim his fourth wicket in a marathon spell of 45 overs and register season’s best figures of 4-138.

Neil Wagner’s 25-ball cameo, which ended with the declaration following Bopara’s dismissal, left him on 24 not out.

Bopara’s impact on the match grew further when his underarm throw from short extra cover accounted for the wicket of Warwickshire opener Andrew Umeed.

Just five overs, and three runs later, former England Test captain Alastair Cook snapped up Ian Westwood low down at slip to give Harmer his 20th County Championship wicket since the former South African Test spinner’s arrival on a Kolpak contract in the spring.

Warwickshire will resume with ex-England internationals, in Jonathan Trott and Ian Bell, at the crease.