ROGERS
IN COMMAND AGAIN by Marcus Hook
Surrey 352 v Derbyshire 451 & 161-3.
Coming on top of his double century in the first
innings, Chris Rogers's chanceless 99 not out off 126 balls trumped
Mark Ramprakash's 109th first-class hundred. Ramprakash, who forged
a positive sixth wicket alliance with Gareth Batty, was central to
Surrey avoiding the follow-on. But the true value of his 102 in 229
minutes is that it gives Derbyshire some thinking to do. The
visitors are currently 260 ahead, but with the pitch showing no
further signs of deterioration it would take a brave man to set
Surrey less than 350 to win.
But first, the Derbyshire skipper Chris Rogers
will have an eye on reaching three figures for the second time in
the match. Barring a change to the existing Home Office regulations,
this could well be Rogers's last season in county cricket, which
would be a loss for all concerned; especially for his current
employers, whom he has spared the complications that some counties
have fallen victim to in their efforts to sign overseas players.
The 32-year-old picked up where he left off in the
first innings by clipping Jade Dernbach through mid-wicket for four
in the second over. On the stroke of tea Rogers drove Stuart Meaker
to the rope at cover with such authority it is hard to believe he
has only represented Australia on one occasion.
Rogers cut Tim Linley for four, but later in the
same over, the 14th, Wayne Madsen was trapped leg before for
fifteen. Nine overs later, 50-1 became 73-2 when Paul Borrington
prodded at Gareth Batty and was caught at slip.
Earlier, with Surrey resuming on 189-5, Batty
announced himself with successive boundaries either side of the
wicket off Robin Peterson in the sixth over of the day. In the next
over Mark Ramprakash square and then cover drove Tim Groenewald for
four to move to 73. The introduction of Graham Wagg from the
Pavilion End saw Batty unfurl some authoritative cover drives. Not
to be upstaged, Ramprakash despatched Peterson to the third man
fence twice in the 74th over.
Five overs later, the former Middlesex man reached
his first championship hundred of the new season - the fourth year
in a row his first knock in four-day cricket has produced a century
- which came off 184 balls and included 18 boundaries. But in the
82nd over, having been handed the second new ball by Rogers, Mark
Footitt made Ramprakash his first scalp for Derbyshire.
Meaker kept Batty company for ten overs before
falling to a catch at short extra cover to give Peterson a second
success. Batty, having brought up a 94-ball half century just before
lunch, took Surrey past the follow-on target in the 95th over with a
forcing shot to the rope at wide long-off off Groenewald.
But six overs later, having almost been caught at
extra cover for 59 off Greg Smith's part-time off-spin, Batty, on
one knee, slapped the 26-year-old all-rounder straight to Borrington
in the covers to make it 326-8. Batty's 65 had come from 115
deliveries and it included 13 boundaries.
The ninth wicket stand between Andre Nel and Tim
Linley was far from dull with Surrey striving to bag a fourth
batting point and the Derbyshire seamers giving Nel a dose of his
own medicine.
Nel rose to the challenge by hooking a short
delivery from Footitt for four to take his side to 349, but the
South African perished next ball when Linley called him through for
a quick single to the wicketkeeper, Lee Goddard, whose shy at the
stumps at the batsmen's end overtook Nel and cannoned into the
timbers at the bowler's end.
With Linley being trapped leg before on the back
foot in the next over, Derbyshire held a 99-run advantage going into
their second dig.
GO TO:
BACK TO:
|