CHRIS Rogers made history as Derbyshire found the perfect answer to those who had written them off even before a ball was bowled in the new cricket season.

The county side marked their opening LV County Championship match of the 2010 campaign by completing an emphatic 208-run victory over Surrey at The Oval yesterday.

Skipper Rogers led from the front with innings of 200 and 140 not out and could not resist criticising the pre-season bookmakers' odds, which made Derbyshire the longest-price outsiders of the nine county sides aiming to win Division Two.

"I saw those odds and couldn't believe it," he said. "Some of the sides who were up there, we have outplayed and I'm not necessarily sure they have improved but we definitely have.

"I'm ecstatic about our performance. We just played such a brilliant game of cricket and could almost say we won every session.

"That's an exceptional effort and I'm so happy for the boys. I think this will give them a lot of belief."

This was the first time Derbyshire have won at The Oval since 1966 and it is the biggest margin of victory by runs they have ever enjoyed between the sides.

Rogers' individual feats were even more impressive. The Australian is the first Derbyshire player to score a double and a single century in the same match and his 340-run tally beat the previous highest match aggregate, set by Charles Ollivierre in 1904.

"I'm very proud of that but I'm even more proud that we've won the game," he said.

"I've really taken a stand with the guys for them to give everything they've got for the team this year and leading from the front is the best way to be a captain, I think.

"You can make all the bowling changes in the world but if you're out there scoring runs and putting the team in good positions, that's what being a captain's all about.

"Our bowlers were just awesome on the last day. We put so much pressure on their batters and bowled such good line and length and to put ourselves in the position where they were five down for 67 is such a great effort.

"These were the games we didn't finish off last year and this time, when the game was on the line, we had players who could step up and win it for us.

"Robin Peterson got the last three wickets and that's just going to be massive for us. If we put ourselves in positions like we have for the last season in a bit, with Robin we have a massive chance to show sides we are really up there.

"Our confidence will be sky-high now and we'll approach the next game with the belief we can win.

"From now on, we know when we are in these positions we can finish sides off and I think good things are ahead for us."