THE name Arthur Jervois Turner has not often appeared in print since he played his last innings, for the Army against Cambridge University, two months before the Great War. But it was Turner whom Varun Chopra removed from the record books, after almost 109 years, when he became the youngest Essex batsman, by 71 days, to complete a championship hundred.

Three years after his own precocious century in 1897, Turner, like a character from a ripping yarn, was thrice wounded in the Boer War and praised for his heroism by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Happily, Chopra, on his debut at this level, had no greater concerns yesterday than being close to leg-before on 98, and twice nearly out to wild whooshes when 99.

Chopra, who turns 19 next month, was born and raised in Ilford and coached both by Joe Hussain, Nasser’s father, and Graham Gooch. Endearingly diffident in conversation, he betrayed no such shyness at the crease, using his height to take decisive strides and unfurl a series of classic off drives that would not have been out of place in Turner’s youth.

It took an astounding catch on the square-leg boundary to remove him for 106 from 162 balls and Jamie Foster, his replacement, was undone by outswing for a duck. After lunch, Ryan ten Doeschate, pulling away, was first “bowled” by what was signalled “dead ball”, then leg-before for 30 to the next when he failed to move at all. With Ronnie Irani losing his middle stump for 87 aiming a head-up drive, Essex were 283 for seven.

Despite Alex Gidman’s first three-wicket haul in a year, 105 runs were added, Andre Adams clubbing an unbeaten 44 from 46 balls in his inimitable baseball style. The animated Adams, aided by fine catching, then claimed three wickets in ten balls after tea and two more fell in the final 40 minutes.