The slim chances of Essex batsman Ravi Bopara playing in next week’s Ashes decider at the Oval seemingly evaporated with a nine-minute batting failure against second division strugglers Middlesex at Lord’s yesterday.

The attacking 24-year-old right-hander fell for just a single, in front of watching England selector James Whitaker, to become one of a four-for-32 haul for Middlesex seamer Tim Murtagh, as Essex slumped to 32 for four in reply to Middlesex’s first innings of 356.

The visitors rallied among the mid-afternoon rain showers through Matt Walker (35 not out) and James Foster (40no) with a fifth-wicket stand worth 75 that ended when heavy rain arrived to curtail the day’s play just after 5.30pm.

Essex will go into the third day on 107 for four to trail in the game by 249 runs, but for Bopara at least, the bigger picture would now point to him sitting out the fifth and final Ashes Test after this latest failure.

Having seen his Essex and England team-mate Alastair Cook (4) go leg before to Murtagh in the third over of their reply, Bopara marched in under leaden skies and with conditions doing their utmost to help Murtagh's right-arm seamers.

Within nine minutes and seven balls Bopara was on his way back to the dressing room after fencing at a Murtagh away-swinger to edge a sitter to Murali Kartik at second slip. To make matters worse for the luckless Bopara, it proved to be the last ball before lunch.

Murtagh continue to reap havoc after the interval when he had John Maunders (23) caught at slip off an away-swinger then, in Murtagh's next over, Essex skipper Mark Pettini shuffled half-forward to an off-cutter to go leg before for a single.

Walker and Foster did well to hold their concentration levels thereafter, and remained together beyond two short rain breaks and the tea interval before a heavy downpour finished events.

Middlesex, resuming on their overnight first-day score of 280 for six, did well to accumulate a fourth batting bonus point and batted on beyond the 350 milestone courtesy of a fine 66 from 120 balls and with 11 fours from burgeoning all-rounder Gareth Berg.

Murtagh also clubbed three fours in one over from Graham Napier to chip in with a cameo 20, before picking up the new ball for a fine spell from the Nursery End that has probably dealt a huge blow to Bopara’s immediate international future.