Rogers stays on

Chris Rogers has reduced the amount of time he will spend away from Derby

Overseas batsman Chris Rogers is cutting short his proposed mid-season break to help Derbyshire’s quest for glory in 2008.

Rogers was scheduled to take a four to six week rest from the rigours of all-year-round cricket, but he will now take only a two-week break at the conclusion of the forthcoming LV County Championship match against Worcestershire which starts on Friday June 6.

Head of cricket John Morris said: “It was always planned that Chris would take a mid-season break and we are delighted it is going to be a short one. He has been in excellent form this season and we want to ensure he is firing on all cylinders at the business end of the summer.

“He will miss the opening stages of the Twenty20 Cup but could play a part later on, it will depend on how we are performing in the competition and how Chris is feeling then.”

Having played a full season in Australia prior to joining up with Derbyshire in April, Rogers was going to sit out the period which was intended for Mahela Jayawardene to take over the overseas duties.

But with the Jayawardene deal having been cancelled due to the player’s international commitments, Rogers will instead settle for a 14-day break as he aims to continue the form which has seen him average over 40 in both first-class and limited-overs cricket so far this season.