Rogers runs riot in England

Australia opener Chris Rogers scored his third century of the English County season overnight, posting 180 as he and Eoin Morgan raced Middlesex to 5-417 at stumps on day one against Peter Siddle’s Nottinghamshire.

The pair combined for 272, which spookily ended on a triple nelson to make the score 3-333, with Morgan’s unbeaten 174 making it consecutive County centuries after his 103 against Lancashire.

Rogers applauded his team-mate's ability to keep positive and illustrate his scoring wagon wheel across the entire ground, saying England could use Morgan’s enthusiasm if the Irishman can continue to score heavily.

"A couple of years ago when he played some four-day cricket for us I still felt there were areas of his game that needed improving, particularly his defence," said Rogers.

"But he has come back this year and I have been very surprised at how that has improved.

"His game is in excellent order at the moment and he just has that ability to take teams down once he gets in, as he did today. He can hit 360 degrees around the field and that is a rare skill.

"I think England would benefit from having a positive player like him in the Test side but he has to earn it now by putting together consistent performances in the way Sam Robson did."

Rogers dispatched Australia team-mate Siddle to all parts of Trent Bridge, striking at more than 80 runs per hundred balls faced, falling 20 short of another first-class double hundred when his uppercut was intercepted in the deep.

It could have been so much better for Notts, as both batsmen enjoyed lives on the benign wicket. Morgan was dropped on 20, and Rogers should have edged out to Samit Patel at second slip on 89 off Siddle, but the difficult chance went down.

Siddle shook off the early punishment and disappointment to claim two wickets with the second new ball, removing Joe Denly and John Simpson to finish day one with figures of 2-87 from 19 overs.