Derbyshire opener Chris Rogers' stylish 177-ball century kept the visitors' noses in front against table-topping Kent at Canterbury.

The east midlands county will go into the final day of this Division Two clash with a handy lead of 250 having closed on 236 for four, ensuring

they should also travel back up the M1 with a draw at the very least having matched the hosts blow-for-blow over the first three days.

Derbyshire skipper Rogers (107) featured in an opening stand worth 60 with Wayne Madsen and then added a near faultless 119 in 31 overs in tandem with second-wicket partner Garry Park, who contributed a useful

53.

Madsen, the only casualty of the mid-session, fell to an unfortunate

run out when, in backing up, he remained out of his ground at the non-striker's end as Ryan McLaren finger-tipped a fierce Rogers' drive onto the stumps.

After tea, Park's 94-ball vigil ended when he moved right across his

stumps and, in attempting to work to leg, missed out to go leg before

to James Tredwell and make it 179 for two.

Kent's outside hopes of forcing a win that might put daylight between

them and their second-placed visitors improved marginally when Rob Key's side bagged two more wickets in as many overs.

Having cantered to a second century of the season with 13 fours, Rogers added only one more boundary to his tally before falling to the wiles of off-spinner Tredwell, who lured him down the pitch to

gift Geraint Jones with a stumping.

Then, without addition to the score, Daniel Redfern (13) skied an attempted hook against Simon Cook to be well held by Justin Kemp running back at slip.

However, Wavell Hinds (16) and Greg Smith (18) made it through to

stumps to leave their side handily placed going into the fourth and

final day.

Kent went into a sunny Sunday hoping their tail might wag further in order to notch a third batting bonus point and overtake Derbyshire's

first innings total of 303, but they failed on both counts.

Simon Cook (34) pulled a short one from Tim Groenewald to pick out

Redfern on the ropes at deep square-leg to end a ninth-wicket stand of

86 in 31 overs.

Then last man Amjad Khan was snared leg before by a Greg Smith yorker that hit his left boot on the full to leave Kent all out for

289, just 11 short of their batting point target and 14 behind on first

innings.

Tredwell was also left high and dry on a season's best 86, while Groenewald finished with four for 69 - his best ever figures in championship cricket.