Chris Rogers’ maiden Test century to give Australia the edge in the fourth Ashes match against England was hailed as a reward for years of perseverance, newspapers said Sunday.
At almost 36, Rogers became the second oldest Australian to score a maiden Test century when he took his team to within sight of a first-innings lead over England after Saturday’s second day in Durham.
Australia were 222/5 at stumps, 16 runs behind England’s first innings 238, with Rogers 101 not out after the tourists had been in trouble at 76/4 shortly after lunch.
Australia’s cricket writers focused on Rogers’ painstaking ton over five and a half hours to ensure England did not claw back Australia’s hard-won advantage from day one.
“If Rogers’ maiden Test century seemed like a cricketing gold watch —reward for years of hard work and perseverance in the game’s second tier — it is not too late for the veteran opener to have an influence on this team’s future,” the Sunday Telegraph’s Richard Hinds said.
The Australian’s Wayne Smith paid tribute to Rogers’ doggedness in the most testing of batting conditions against the probing England seamers.
“Considering he is short-sighted and colour-blind, Rogers did remarkably well to see Australia through to a dominant position on a gloomy day when the ball was nipping at batsmen like a rabid blue heeler (dog) from first over to last,” Smith wrote.