Notts ease drop fears with draw

Nottinghamshire eased their relegation worries by picking up two valuable bowling bonus points at Lord's before their Championship Division One game against Middlesex ended in a weather-ravaged draw.

Chris Rogers took his overnight 67 to 108, the fourth first-class hundred of a memorable summer for Australia's Ashes opener, but then became the first of four scalps for Andre Adams as Middlesex, who resumed on 96 for 0, reached 353 for 7 declared.

Somerset's win against bottom club Surrey pushed Nottinghamshire down into seventh place in the Division One table, but on 132 points they are 12 ahead of Derbyshire, who crashed to defeat against Durham.

After the final day's first session was ruled out to more bad weather it was just a case for both teams of playing for bonus points after a resumption at 1.10pm following an early lunch. Rogers was in aggressive mood, flashing Adams between third slip and gully for one of his eventual 12 fours and then uppercutting a short ball from Harry Gurney to square third man for six.

A superbly timed back-foot force to the ropes through point off Luke Fletcher took Rogers to his century but the left-hander fell just five runs short of completing 1000 Championship runs for the season - in only his 11th appearance for Middlesex. Going for another pull, this time against Adams, the Middlesex captain skied to Fletcher at mid-on after batting for 155 balls and dominating an opening stand of 151 with Sam Robson, who edged behind on 41 in Adams's next over.

Dawid Malan had helped Joe Denly to add 49 for the third wicket when, to Samit Patel's second ball of the day, he aimed a drive and was bowled for 15 by the left-arm spinner. Denly, 42 not out at tea, went on to reach 63 from 76 balls before being bowled by Gurney, with the left-arm paceman squaring him up with a fine delivery from around the wicket.

Neil Dexter then thick-edged Gurney to Michael Lumb in the gully as, on 9, he pushed hard at another ball angled in but straightening a little off the pitch, while Gareth Berg fell for 26 to the second new ball when he gave Adams a return catch.

John Simpson's punchy 51 not out, though, from 74 balls and with six fours, guided Middlesex past 350 and a fourth batting point, despite Ollie Rayner falling lbw to Adams.

Nottinghamshire's David Hussey suffered a finger injury while fielding that caused a cut, but he should be fine for next Saturday's Yorkshire Bank 40 final against Glamorgan. Director of cricket Mick Newell said: "It's not dislocated and it's not broken so it shouldn't be any problem with regard to next week's final."