LONDON: Chris Rogers announced his retirement from first-class cricket after keeping Somerset in the hunt for the County Championship title with a win over Nottinghamshire at Taunton on Thursday.

The former Australia batsman, 39, bowed out in style as he scored a century in each innings and then led his team on a lap of honour at their Taunton headquarters. Somerset’s win inside three days ups the pressure on title rivals Middlesex or Yorkshire to win their match at Lord’s on the fourth and final day.

A draw would hand Somerset a first Championship title “That’s it for me,” Somerset captain Rogers told Sky Sports.

“I have had a good career and to finish off that way is pretty special. I’m getting old. I am going to miss playing and the standing ovation from the crowd was very special, but it happens in all careers and it’s time to move on.”

Rogers exits with 25,470 first-class runs in 313 matches at an average of 49.55, including 76 hundreds and 122 fifties. His 25 Tests, all but one played after his 35th birthday, saw Rogers score 2,015 runs at 42.87 with five hundreds and 14 fifties.

Published in Dawn September 24th, 2016