Perhaps it was the need to push on for runs and a fourth-innings target, perhaps it was something deeper. Either way, some uncharacteristic flourishes in Chris Rogers final innings for Somerset this season tended to indicate these were the parting shots of a prolific and valuable career.For many a year, Rogers had been crease-bound against spin, leaning heavily on advice conveyed by Lance Klusener in their time together at Northamptonshire: build a solid defence against spinners and wait for the bad ball. But here he was, dancing down to Samit Patel and lofting over long-on.More recently, Rogers had been haunted by the threat of the short ball, his fears exacerbated by the death of Phillip Hughes then maintained by numerous head knocks over the course of his last few Test assignments for Australia. Yet the last scoring stroke with which he moved to a 76th first-class hundred - only eight Australians have more - was a hook shot.Proof, then, that Rogers always had these shots in his locker, and perhaps a flightier personality would have used them more frequently. Instead, these moments in innings No. 554 were the exceptions that prove the rule: by knowing his limitations and working within them, Rogers carved out a batting method that stood up to more examinations than most. He also earned the belated validation of a memorable stint in the Australian Test side, years after he had given up hope of getting there for longer than his earlier solitary appearance.To finish in England was fitting, for it was largely on those northern shores that Rogers sculpted his way of batting. When he first travelled to play there his technique was more or less classically Australian: back and across to cover bounce and be in position to play cross bat strokes on the hard and true expanses of the WACA Ground.But the means by which Rogers would become a consistent and heavy run scorer were to come later, via help from the likes of Paul Nixon and Klusener. A double hundred against the touring Australian Ashes team of 2005 was significant not only as the innings that put Rogers on the map back home, but also as the first sign his English lessons were starting to take root. In the simplest terms, he worked on playing in straight lines down the pitch, and covering off stump without letting the bat get outside his eyeline to adjust for lateral movement.Combined with a flinty determination at the batting crease and an agile mind eager to make adjustments for the challenges posed by different bowlers, teams and circumstances, those fundamentals led Rogers to major run-making feats. Over the past decade only twice - once through injury and once through international commitments - did Rogers fail to top 1000 runs for the English season, sharing his runs and expertise with Northants, Derbyshire, Middlesex and Somerset.These sides, plus Australia, benefited too from Rogers the thoughtful leader, and Rogers the sociable after-hours organiser. At both Derbyshire and Middlesex he did not arrive as captain but was effectively promoted to the rank in the field. By the time he signed on to play at Taunton this year there was expectation of the battling club being given the Rogers touch, characterised by example with the bat, sound ideas in the field, dedication in training and yarn-spinning in the dressing room.An attentive brand of leadership has found its greatest 2016 exemplar in the growth of the left-arm spinner Jack Leach, proficient in his craft but also shy and reticent in a way Rogers doubtless recognised in his younger self. The following words were spoken after Leach had bowled Somerset to victory over Yorkshire at Headingley, as blunt as they were empathetic:I am still a big believer that you need more than one good season to play for England. With Jack, I think his games in order, I think emotionally he still has a bit of a way to go and I dont think hed be upset with me saying that. He is still a young guy, he has only ever been in Somerset and the challenges in international cricket are a lot more difficult. If they pick him then good luck to him but theyd better look after him.Protective of his men but honest with them also, Rogers parting gift to Somerset was to drive them to within a days good fortune of the clubs first ever County Championship. That his batting and leadership will be missed to the game is beyond dispute. But it is equally easy to conclude that the lessons learned over the past 18 years will be rare gold for Rogers in coaching ranks. Authentic NFL Jerseys Cheap . LOUIS -- Mike Smith is used to facing plenty of shots, so this was nothing new. Cheap Stitched Jerseys .C. -- Calgarys Kevin Koe did it the hard way again. http://www.jerseysclearance.com/ . -- There were a lot of firsts for the Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday night. Wholesale Jerseys Clearance . Mickelson barely made the cut but had the best round of the day with nine birdies and an eagle coupled with two bogeys to sit two shots behind leader Craig Lee of Scotland. Lee shot a 69 for a 12-under 204 total. "I just love the fact I am in contention and have an opportunity in my first tournament of the year here in Abu Dhabi," Mickelson said. Cheap Nike NFL Jerseys . LeBron James and Chris Bosh didnt need any more. Williams scored 11 points in 10 minutes, Alan Anderson scored 17 points, and the Brooklyn Nets finished the exhibition season with a 108-87 win over the Miami Heat on Friday night.Ref Watch is back to debate another batch of controversial decisions from the weekends football. Former top-flight referee Dermot Gallagher joined Rob Wotton in the Sky Sports News HQ studio to go through a number of contentious calls, not only in the Premier League but also in the Sky Bet Championship.From offside goals, rash challenges, questionable penalty appeals and acts of simulation, weve picked out nine incidents reviewed during Mondays Ref Watch. Was your team affected by a contentious decision? Read on to find out...MATCH: West Ham v ArsenalINCIDENT: Andy Carroll booked for tackle on Laurent Koscielny Koscielny goes down after Carrolls poor challenge in the opening stages of Saturdays game at Upton Park SCENARIO: Four minutes into Saturdays game at Upton Park, Carroll catches Koscielny on his Achilles with a late tackle from behind before appearing to follow through with his trailing leg as the defender went to ground.GALLAGHERS VIEW: Correct decision.GALLAGHER SAYS: A yellow card was right. It was early in the game, it wasnt really nasty and, while its not nice, the referee has got that right. If he had sent him off there we would have been talking about it more. A yellow card was fair, it did set the tone for a great, feisty game to watch.MATCH: West Ham v ArsenalINCIDENT: Andy Carroll unpunished after aerial collision with Gabriel Andy catches Gabriel with an elbow during West Hams game with Arsenal SCENARIO: Arsenal centre-back Gabriel is struck in the face by Carroll, who has already been booked, two minutes into the second half. Referee Craig Pawson deems the challenge fair, allowing play to continue as Carroll escapes a second booking.GALLAGHERS VIEW: Incorrect decision.GALLAGHER SAYS: Carroll is lucky here. There were a number of incidents where people were saying he could have been sent off. Of all of those incidents this was the one, he would have had no arguments. This is not a red card offence but it was reckless and Carroll took a big chance doing what he did. His eyes were on the ball though, so that is what went in his favour. Despite that, he was lucky because he took a big risk while on a yellow card in a game of that nature. However, it proved to be a risk worth taking.MATCH: West Ham v ArsenalINCIDENT: Gabriel lashes out at Andy Carroll after being fouled Gabriel lashes out at Carroll just seconds after winning a free-kick for Carrolls initial challenge SCENARIO: Carroll dispossess Gabriel in the Arsenal half but is adjudged to have committed a foul in the process by referee Craig Pawson. Gabriel retaliates by throwing his leg towards Carroll, who narrowly avoid being struck. Both players go unpunished for their part in the incident.GALLAGHERS VIEW: Incorrect decision.GALLAGHER SAYS: Carrolls initial challenge is a foul but it didnt warrant a yellow card. Gabriel, meanwhile, is very lucky and I mean that. The referee gives a foul in his favour and then he has just gone for Carroll. He is very lucky to stay on the field. Pawson goes to talk to Carroll about his challenge and then seems to completely forget about Gabriel. It was completely forgotten altogether and Arsenal restarted the game with a free-kick to Gabriel, it didnt look tidy. There was no need for Gabriel to make the challenge because the referee had already given him a free-kick.MATCH: West Ham v ArsenalINCIDENT: Dimitri Payet has goal disallowed during West Hams 3-3 draw with Arsenal Dimitri Payet sweeps the ball into the unguarded net as Ospina, Koscielny and Carroll lay in a heap on the ground SCENARIO: Andy Carroll harasses Laurent Koscielny in the area while David Ospina hesitates in coming to collect the ball. The ball comes free and Payet sweeps it into the unguarded net, but referee Pawson pulls play back to penalise Carroll for a foul on Koscielny.GALLAGHERS VIEW: Correct decision.GALLAGHER SAYS: This is definitely a foul, definitely, but this is not a second yellow card. The defender is shielding the ball and Carroll bundles him to the ground. Its a foul and the referee, quite rightly, has disallowed the gooal.ddddddddddddMATCH: Sunderland v LeicesterINCIDENT: Leicester denied a penalty after DeAndre Yedlins high challenge on Shinji Okazaki Yedlin catches Okazaki in the chest with a rash challenge SCENARIO: Marc Albrighton plays a diagonal ball over the Sunderland defence which Okazaki races on to. As the ball sails over the defence, Yedlins attempted clearance sees him miss the ball and catch Okazaki in the chest. Referee Anthony Taylor decides not to award Leicester a penalty.GALLAGHERS VIEW: Incorrect decision.GALLAGHER SAYS: I think its a foul and a penalty. I dont think the referee realises what has happened. Yedlin had caught Okazaki in the chest and he is not near the ball. Anthony doesnt see it like that, but the penalty should have been given.MATCH: Sunderland v LeicesterINCIDENT: Sunderland denied penalty after appeals for handball against Robert Huth Van Aanholts cross clearly strikes Huths arm in the penalty area SCENARIO: Patrick van Aanholts low cross strikes Huths arm as the defender slides in to make a challenge. Referee Anthony Taylor decides chooses not to point to spot.GALLAGHERS VIEW: Correct decision.GALLAGHER SAYS: The cross strikes Huths hand, that is all it does. It does strike his hand and not the other way around so its definitely not a penalty for me. Huth cant cut his arm off, its there and he was just going to ground. His arms have to go somewhere and that is what you would call a natural position.MATCH: Man City v West BromINCIDENT: West Brom denied penalty after Eliaquim Mangalas challenge on Sandro Mangala collides into the back of Sandro in the Man City area SCENARIO: Stephane Sessegnon crosses the ball into the City area. Sandro looks to chest the ball down but he appears to be bundled to the ground by Mangala, who crashes into the back of him. Referee Mike Jones rules to challenge to be fair.GALLAGHERS VIEW: Incorrect decision.GALLAGHER SAYS: Mangala goes through the back of Sandro. Mangala cant play the ball. At some point during a game there are situations where players cannot win the ball, and this was one of those for Mangala. He has had to go through the player and I think that is a penalty.MATCH: Tottenham v Man UtdINCIDENT: Dele Alli booked for simulation by referee Mike Dean Alli goes to ground under Darmians challenge in the closing stages of Sundays game at White Hart Lane SCENARIO: Daley Blind and David de Gea combine to deny Mousa Dembele a fourth Spurs goal. The ball runs loose on the left-hand side of the box and Alli goes down under Matteo Darmians challenge. United win a free-kick and the yellow card is swiftly brandished by the official, who believes the England midfielder went down in search of a penalty.GALLAGHERS VIEW: Correct decision.GALLAGHER SAYS: This is a tremendous decision by Mike Dean. It wasnt a penalty, there is no doubt about that whatsoever. Its a dive and there was no need for Alli to do it because they were 3-0 up.MATCH: Ipswich v BrentfordINCIDENT: Luke Hyam is booked for a leg-breaking challenge on Brentfords Alan Judge Judge suffers a lower-leg fracture following Hyams forceful challenge SCENARIO: Phil Gibbs issues a yellow card to Ipswich Towns Hyam after a forceful challenge on Judge. The Brentford man suffered a lower-leg fracture as a result of the second-minute tackle at Portman Road.GALLAGHERS VIEW: Incorrect decision.GALLAGHER SAYS: I do think this is a bad tackle. You have to be careful and ensure you judge the tackle on the tackle itself and not the consequence. I realise the consequence of this challenge was not nice but I do think the tackle deserved a red card. It was dangerous as a tackle because of the tackle, it didnt become dangerous because the player suffered such an horrific injury. Also See: Premier League grades Schmeichel top Power Rankings ' ' '