Derbyshire were hugely indebted to Chris Rogers on the opening day of their 2010 County Championship campaign. After winning the toss and electing to bat first on an Oval pitch that is already showing signs of taking spin, the 32-year-old Australian struck an unbeaten 178 in 282 deliveries for the visitors. A first innings total in excess of four hundred would almost certainly give Derbyshire the high ground.

The visitors' opening pair rode their luck early on. Andre Nel was offered a half chance off his own bowling by Rogers and Wayne Madsen was nearly run out by Tim Linley in the first over, before even facing a ball.

It was not long before Rogers was into his stride, driving Nel straight down the ground and despatching Jade Dernbach through the off-side for two successive boundaries, but Madsen perished in the eighth over to a routine catch at first slip upon Linley's early introduction as first change.

On such a true pitch Surrey did well to limit Derbyshire to 80-1 at lunch. Indeed, had Stuart Meaker not put Rogers down at backward point off Nel in the 25th over, when the Victorian had 46 to his name, Rory Hamilton-Brown would have been able to look back on an extremely encouraging first session as Surrey captain.

But both his and his side's doggedness were rewarded shortly after the break when Paul Borrington gloved Gareth Batty down the leg-side and Steven Davies claimed his first dismissal for his new employers at the second attempt.

In the 43rd over Rogers, who had brought up his half century off 100 balls, hit Dernbach for three fours in the space of four deliveries, but Derbyshire's progress was checked when Garry Park, sweeping, was caught off bat and pad at slip in the 45th over to hand Batty a second success with the ball.

Chris Rogers and Greg Smith then combined to make 128 in 31 overs for the fourth wicket, equalling Derbyshire's highest fourth wicket stand against Surrey, which was established by Henry Bagshaw and William Chatterton at the Oval in 1895.

Six overs before tea Rogers progressed to the 42nd first-class hundred of his career, which came off 174 balls and included 17 fours. Smith's half century arrived in the second over following the interval, off 77 balls.

Rogers called for a new bat in the 72nd over and immediately put it to good use by bringing up the hundred stand with another of his trademark straight driven boundaries, which he followed up with a late cut to the rope at third man off the expensive Meaker.

But just as Derbyshire appeared to be taking a firm grip on proceedings, Usman Afzaal accounted for Smith and Redfern in successive overs. In the 76th over, Smith, who was particularly strong off the back foot, needlessly lofted a catch to mid-off. The 26-year-old had batted for 115 minutes and made 66 from 101 balls. Two overs later Dan Redfern toe-ended a turning delivery to cover point to make it 265-5.

Surrey took the new ball at the start of the 85th over, though not before Rogers had posted his 150 in 239 deliveries. In Robin Peterson, who latched on to anything aimed at his leg stump, Rogers found a useful ally. At the close the visitors' sixth wicket pair had already put on 41.

From the hosts' perspective it was encouraging to see Batty making an instant impact upon his return to SE11. Both Nel and Linley beat the outside edge on a number of occasions, but the wicket at the Oval continues to be an unforgiving one when chances are spurned.

Earlier in the day, a minute's silence was observed as a mark of respect to the recently departed Surrey great, Sir Alec Bedser.

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