Derbyshire's batsmen enjoyed a day of total domination over Kent to put the LV County Championship Division Two promotion hopefuls on course for victory at Derby.

Skipper Chris Rogers made 208 and Garry Park a career-best unbeaten 178 as Derbyshire cruised to 583 for four, the sixth highest total in the county's history and their best against Kent.

That gave them a formidable lead of 302 over the Division Two leaders who lost Sam Northeast in the third over and at the close of day three, they were 44 for one, still 258 runs short of avoiding an innings defeat.

Derbyshire started the third day on 186 without loss, only 95 runs behind, and Kent's hopes of early wickets were dashed as Rogers and Wayne Madsen continued to plunder the bowling.

The visitors had bowled badly on the second day and there was little sign of improvement as Derbyshire's openers reached another landmark.

Rogers clipped Simon Cook to the midwicket boundary to bring up the 200 and the pair had been together for 62 overs when Kent finally made the breakthrough.

Rob Key's decision to bring Amjad Khan on from the Grandstand end paid off when the England paceman found the edge of Madsen's defensive bat with his third ball and Geraint Jones took the catch.

Madsen had made 75 off 172 balls and had shared in Derbyshire's ninth highest Championship opening stand equalling the 216 by Alan Hill and John Wright against Northants at Burton-on-Trent in 1979.

But if Kent thought that had opened the door, they were disappointed as Rogers and Park slammed and bolted it shut.

Only Justin Kemp's medium pace was capable of stemming the flow as Rogers passed 1,000 Championship runs for the season on his way to the sixth double hundred of his career and his second for Derbyshire..

The Australian reached the landmark when he cut his 274th ball for his 26th four but when he tried to repeat the shot against Khan, he was lbw which ended a second wicket stand of 125 in 28 overs.

Park finally celebrated his first hundred for Derbyshire when he pulled Cook for his 12th four and Kent became increasingly ragged as he and Greg Smith added 118 in 28 overs.

Khan picked up Smith for 59 and Wavell Hinds for 18 to finish with four for 110 but Parkd John Sadler added 100 in only 10 overs before the declaration came.

Park had faced 221 balls and hit 22 fours and the fact that there only 15 maidens in 132 overs was an indication of how poorly Kent had bowled.

They needed to bat with a lot more discipline in the second innings to have a chance of saving the game but they lost a wicket with only six on the board.

Northeast failed to get over a cut at Tom Lungley and was caught low down at gully but Key and Jones survived to the close to give Kent hope.