Chris Rogers last night hailed his maiden Test century at the age of almost 36 as the sweetest moment of a journeyman career after it handed Australia a hard-earned advantage over England in the fourth Investec Ashes Test at Chester-le-Street.

His unbeaten 101 runs from 233 balls while somehow surviving the bowling of Stuart Broad, who took four Australian wickets for 48 runs, put the tourists in a commanding position. The men in baggy green reached stumps on 222 for five, before bad light stopped play prematurely, to trail England by just 16 runs.

The 35-year-old Rogers said: "I didn't think I'd get this opportunity. It is the best moment of my career. To wear the baggy green and get a hundred is something no one can take away from you. I'm extremely happy."

Rogers' nomadic path first took him from Sydney to Western Australia, and has since included stints with four English counties.

There were some twists, too, in his 233-ball innings especially the 19 deliveries he spent on 96 against Graeme Swann before becoming the second-oldest Australian to hit his first Test century. None of his compatriots was complaining as Rogers stood firm, initially against Broad, and then shared a fifth-wicket stand of 129 with Shane Watson (68). It was hard going at times after Broad saw off David Warner and Usman Khawaja with the score stuck on 12, and then added the prize scalp of Michael Clarke as Australia made a nightmare start.

Rogers was dropped by Swann at second slip off Broad for 49, but was watchful throughout, bringing to bear all those years of experience in English cricket.

Before today, he had made more runs against Australia than for them thanks to his double century for a Leicestershire team who hosted the 2005 Ashes tourists. But in his fifth Test, the left-handed opener buried that statistic.

A tentative Warner was swiftly undone by a delivery he wanted to leave. When he jammed down his forward defence, it was too late as Broad zoned in on the top of off-stump to bowl him.

Then Khawaja also paid for indecision, nicking an involuntary underedge behind.

Rogers himself escaped Broad only after two reviews went his way in the same over, on 16 and 20. At the other end, Clarke's innings ended when he flapped at a wide ball and edged high to Alastair Cook at slip.

However, almost everything after lunch belonged to Australia, who lost just one wicket in each of the following sessions. Steve Smith lasted less than two overs before edging Tim Bresnan low to a diving Matt Prior.

Survival seemed a long shot for Rogers and Watson, as the ball seamed with almost comic exaggeration. Yet survive, and eventually prosper, they did. Watson, without a half-century in 13 Test innings this year, reached the elusive milestone from 98 balls. He was unable to convert it to three figures, Broad returning for his first spell from the Lumley end to have him caught behind down the leg side. But Rogers swept Swann for his 13th boundary and maiden ton.

By then there was no doubt Australia were on top after the day had started with Jackson Bird claiming England's last wicket without addition to the overnight total in only the second over the morning.