COUNTY CHAMPIONSHIP DIVISION TWO, Derby:
CLOSE OF PLAY, DAY ONE: Derbyshire 368-3 (Derbys 4pts, Essex 1pt)
23-26 September

Chris Rogers has now hit over 1,400 runs in the Championship this season

Chris Rogers hit an unbeaten double century as Derbyshire put a major dent in Essex's hopes of winning promotion from Division Two on day one at Derby.

After the visitors won the toss, Rogers batted all day to end on 204 from 296 balls, with 29 fours and one six.

He shared stands of 121 with Garry Park (57) and 120 with Dan Redfern (48) as the home side closed on 368-3.

Derbyshire need to win the game to have a realistic chance of overhauling Essex in the race for promotion.

Rogers' effort is made all the more impressive by the fact that he was one of six Derbyshire players feeling unwell with suspected swine flu before the game began.

Indeed, Derbyshire had to send seamer Tom Lungley home before play began as he joined fellow paceman Tim Groenewald on the sick list.

But Rogers batted superbly on a green pitch to record his sixth Championship hundred of the summer and his fourth in seven innings.

After the hosts were asked to bat, Rogers shared an opening stand of 61 with Wayne Madsen, who was trapped lbw by Chris Wright (3-84) for 16.

Rogers and Park, who passed 50 for the ninth time this season, then combined for a partnership that lasted 30 overs.

After Park edged Wright to slip it was left to Redfern to see Rogers through to the century that makes him the first Derbyshire batsman since Chris Adams in 1996 to make six hundreds in a season.

Derbyshire had passed 300 by the time Essex took the second new ball, which brought immediate rewards when Wright enticed Redfern to drive to gully.

However Rogers, now accompanied by Wavell Hinds, continued to the seventh double century of his career, his second double in consecutive games at Derby.

Essex's misery was complete when leg-spinner Danish Kaneria left the field with an Achilles problem. But the Pakistan international was able to return before the close.

Batting coach Graham Gooch admits that Essex were well below their best on day one at Derby:

"It was a poor day for us.

"We didn't start well, we didn't bowl well and Chris Rogers played extremely well.

"We've given ourselves an uphill struggle.

"I still think it was the right decision to put them in. But our skill levels just weren't good enough.

"But we're not out of the game yet if we bat well."

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