(BBC) Ravi Bopara struck a sparkling 168 as England Lions reached the tri-series final with their third win out of three, a 124-run rout of West Indies A yesterday.

On the day that England opted for Jonathan Trott to replace the injured Kevin Pietersen, Bopara struck 23 fours and two sixes in a 140-ball innings.

Trott made just one and was the second of two wickets to go in the first over but the Lions recovered to amass 345.

Bopara then took 4-43 as the Windies were all out for 221 in the 40th over.

Bopara was part of the England squad at the World Twenty20 earlier this year, but played only one match when Pietersen flew home to be with his pregnant wife.

However the 25-year-old Essex batsman has not featured at Test or one-day international level this year.

He found himself out of favour after making only 105 runs in seven innings during the Ashes series last summer and has not been able to add to his 10 Tests since.  His last one-day international came in the Champions Trophy in South Africa in September 2009, and in 50 matches he has a modest average of 27 with only four half centuries.

The man preferred to him for next week’s three-match series with Bangladesh, Trott, had succumbed to an edge behind after a flat-footed drive at a wide one and another England senior squad player, Ian Bell, was also caught behind for a single.

That brought in Bopara at a precarious 14-3 but he confidently opened his account with two boundaries and took his side beyond the 300 mark with a scintillating display before he was finally dismissed in the 46th over.

Peter Trego, who shared in a match-winning partnership in the previous game, also enjoyed a fine all-round match for the Lions.

The 29-year-old Somerset man smashed 73 from only 55 balls with 10 fours and a six then picked up 5-40 with the ball in an emphatic Lions victory.