Rogers ton keeps Aussies in the hunt

Cricket365
August 10, 2013

Australia opener Chris Rogers walked off the field at the end of day two in Durham having recorded his maiden Test century, and the 61st first class ton of his career, as the Aussies reached 222 for five at stumps.

Australia were chasing 239, after bowling England out for 238 early on, with the hosts failing to add anything to their overnight score. The morning session saw Stuart BRoad take three Aussie wickets, before Rogers and Shane Watson steadied the ship for the rest of the day.

Rogers recorded his ton just before bad light sent the players off at the end of the day, having spend a good deal of time stuck on 96. He brought the ton up with a cracking four, and given the momentous nature of the achievement, he was rather subdued in celebration.

England began the day on 238 for nine, with James Anderson and Tim Bresnan in the middle. They faced only two and a bit overs though, all maidens, before Jackson Bird found some swing and removed Anderson's middle stump.

Spinner Nathan Lyon was the pick of the Aussie bowlers, ending the knock with the four wickets he took on day one, while Bird and Ryan Harris claimed two scalps each.

Australia opened the batting with Rogers, and this time he was partnered not with Shane Watson by with David Warner. This was not effective, as Warner was soon back in the hut thanks to Broad.

The England paceman kept in nice and full, and Warner was deceived by the line, and his bailed were sent flying. Broad then added Usman Khawaja to hi tally, with the batsman failing to get off the mark before being caught behind.

The slight DRS drama of the morning came when Rogers was given out caught behind, but he instantly reviewed it. Evidence showed he had hit his pad, not the ball, so was not out. They then checked for an LBW, which showed it would have been out Umpire's call.

But because the original out call was for caught, and not LBW, that meant Rogers was not out for LBW. England's players protested for a few minutes, not understanding the ruling, but the game continued soon after.

Michael Clarke was Broad's third wicket and the final one of the morning. The skipper played away from his body and got the outside edge, leaving Alastair Cook to take a neat slip catch and Pup had to depart for just six runs.

Rogers and Steve Smith came out to bat after the lunch break, but the younger player was soon back in the hut. Bresnan was the wicket-taker this time, inducing an outside edge for Matt Prior to take low to the ground.

The rest of the afternoon session was a frustrating one for England, as Watson and Rogers were both given lifelines thanks to poor fielding, and they survived till tea. Rogers' half ton was his third of the Ashes, with only Ian Bell passing fifty more times.

Watson's knock saw 30 more runs added in the evening session, before the all-rounder once again got out after getting set. He edged Broad behind to Prior for 68, having faced 134 balls, and his run without a Test ton extended to 45 innings.

Brad Haddin was with Rogers when the most anticipated century arrived, and the crowd rose to their feet as few would have begrudged the 35-year-old his first international century, even after a few lucky breaks during the day. He was on 101 not out at the close.