Rogers opens in impressive form

Chris Rogers' century was the highlight of day four as Derbyshire and Gloucestershire meandered to a draw

Chris Rogers showed how unlucky he was to miss out on Australia’s Ashes tour party by launching his LV= County Championship season with a century as Derbyshire drew with Gloucestershire at Chesterfield.

The Victorian opening batsman scored 104 out of Derbyshire's 402 for eight declared which also included half-centuries for Garry Park and Dan Redfern.

Gloucestershire's bowlers found there was little in the Queen's Park pitch to assist them and the rain-affected match ended in a predictable draw with the Division Two leaders taking seven points and Derbyshire six.

Rogers had missed the first three Championship games because of a problem with his visa application but he was soon dominating the bowling on another chilly, overcast day.

Gloucestershire had taken a wicket in the third over of the morning when Anthony Ireland knocked out Steve Stubbings' middle stump with 31 on the board.

But Rogers and Park then took control in a stand that added 146 in 38 overs for the second wicket.

Rogers hit nine fours in his fifty which came off 64 balls and Park drove off-spinner Richard Dawson over long-on for the first of his three sixes.

Steve Kirby bowled an excellent spell at Rogers either side of lunch and came close to dismissing the Derbyshire skipper before he reached his fifth century for the county and his 34th in first-class cricket from 132 balls.

Rogers had hit 17 fours in his hundred and he pulled Jon Lewis for another before he was lbw for 104 trying to repeat the shot off the next ball.

Park had brought up his fifty by straight driving Dawson for six but he should have gone for 55 in the spinner's next over when Chris Taylor put down a chance at leg slip.

Gloucestershire spilled another catch when Redfern edged a drive at Lewis to Craig Spearman at first slip who dropped a relatively straight-forward catch.

Redfern made the most of that escape on 17 although Park missed out on the chance of a century when he tried to sweep Grant Hodnett and lobbed a catch to wicketkeeper Stephen Snell.

Snell had another catch when Wavell Hinds top edged a pull at Ireland and he ended another impressive innings by Redfern when he stumped the 19-year-old for 74 off a Taylor full toss.

Gloucestershire claimed a second bowling point when James Pipe gave Dawson a return catch before he had scored but some muscular blows by Tom Lungley and Ian Hunter carried Derbyshire to maximum batting points for the first time this season before the players shook hands on a draw.