CANTERBURY: Australia’s Chris Rogers bats during the tour match against Kent at the Spitfire Ground on Thursday.—AP

CANTERBURY: Chris Rogers turned attention back to his cricket, rather than his business interests, with an unbeaten fifty on the first morning of Australia’s Ashes tour opener against Kent here on Thursday.

Australia, having been sent into bat by Kent, were 108 without loss at lunch at the St Lawrence Ground on the first day of this scheduled four-day clash.

Rogers was 53 not out and Shaun Marsh, a rival for an opening spot alongside David Warner when the first Test against England begins in Cardiff on July 8, unbeaten on 45.

Left-handed opener Rogers found himself having to apologise on Wednesday after he unwittingly contravened ground regulations by trying to re-sell tickets for next month’s second Test at Lord’s as part of a hospitality package.

But Rogers said on Wednesday that the incident would not affect his cricket.

“It has been a bit of a distraction, but the cricket starts tomorrow and I am pretty good at just getting on with it, so I am not too worried.”

He proved as good as his word during an 89-ball fifty, including eight fours, which featured several fine drives although he was dropped in the slips on 21.

That was as close as Kent, bottom of the Second Division in England’s County Championship, came to separating Australia’s openers in the session after skipper Sam Northeast won the toss.

Rogers, who has scored three of his four Test hundreds against England, missed Australia’s recent 2-0 series win in the Caribbean because of a concussion suffered while batting in the nets, with his place taken by Marsh.

Australia, led by Test captain Michael Clarke, rested Warner from this match, with the bowling attack featuring experienced pacemen Mitc­hell Johnson, Ryan Harris, Peter Siddle plus leg-spinner Fawad Ahmed.

Published in Dawn, June 26th, 2015

On a mobile phone? Get the Dawn Mobile App: Apple Store | Google Play