Sports

The Legend of Lucky Rogers

Published

5 years ago

2021/09/22

by Rex Clementine

Quietly, sit next to a coach giving a pep talk to Under-13 cricketers before a game and you will be left with anger and bewilderment as you eavesdrop. Coaches teach young kids some new tricks in the trade. ‘Appeal three times vociferously and there’s a good chance that you will get a decision in your favour that would have been otherwise given not out.’ That’s the current status of our school cricket. But then, there are also the rare coaches, the Lucky Rogers type. Here’s the Lucky Rogers story.

Ananda College had had a terrific season in 2009 having won 12 games. They were skippered by Dinesh Chandimal. The title was going to be decided in the crunch game between Ananda and Royal at Ananda Mawatha. Royal had KJP. Ananda were set to secure the title after being set a paltry target of 80. But cricket is a funny game. Ananda were shot out for 78. Ruchira Palliyaguru, currently an international umpire had given five leg before wicket decisions!

Well, the obvious choice is to nail the umpire. The term ‘umpire hora’ is common in our backyard. Five leg before wicket decisions in a crunch game! But Ananda boys played like gentlemen. Their coach Lucky Rogers had instilled in them that discipline and set the standards.

“To be honest, I expected a bit of bad blood. But to my surprise, every Ananda player walked up to me, shook hands and said ‘good game sir.’ Palliyaguru told The Island. ‘Then followed Ananda coach Mr. Lucky Rogers. He shook my hands and said thank you. That’s all. What a gentlemen.’

You don’t get many gents like Lucky Rogers. Ajantha Mendis played little cricket at school and his talent was spotted by Lucky Rogers at an academy. The rest they say is history as Mendis gave us some memorable moments running through India’s famed batting line up comprising Sehwag-Dravid-Sachin-Ganguly-Laxman.

The legend of Lucky Rogers is not associated with just coaching. He was a legend as a player too.

“I won the outstanding schoolboy cricketer of the year award (outstations) in the year 1988 and Lucky Rogers won it after me in 1989,” said Sanath Jayasuriya speaking to The Island. Well, that sums up the story.

Here’s bit of stats to drill Lucky Rogers greatness. He hails from Moratuwa. The famed cricket pillars of Moratuwa are St. Sebastian’s’ and Prince of Wales. But there’s a third force. Quite formidable one too; Moratu Vidyalaya. Lucky Rogers captained them at under-13, 15,17 and 19 levels. In his last year, he finished off with 1493 runs, in just ten games with an highest score of 264 not out. If you know bit of school cricket, those are stunning numbers. Not even matched by The Greatest; P.A. de Silva. Nobody else reached 1000 runs that season. Lucky did it in seven games. Mind blowing stuff.

Lucky Rogers was not just a stylish top order batsman. He was also a superb wicketkeeper. Highly rated by his contemporaries, hardly committing a blunder behind the stumps. When he opened batting, he was a class act, with an array of attractive strokes.

“I captained Sri Lanka Under-19 team to Bangladesh for the Asia Cup. We lost the finals to India captained by Sourav Ganguly. Lucky Rogers was a key figure in that side as we performed consistently well. When in the mood, Lucky could put best of bowling attacks to the sword,” recalled another Sri Lanka captain; Marvan Atapattu.

When Lucky Rogers got out of school, he was quite popular in the domestic circuit piling up runs for Moratuwa Sports Club. He made quite an impact as captain too as Moratuwa were promoted to Premier League from Sara Trophy. Lucky was jack of all trade; team’s leading batsman, wicketkeeper and skipper, who had the knack to make things happen, despite having limited bowling resources.

In 1990s, the wicket keeping gloves of the national cricket team exchanged hands between a few players; Gamini Wickramasinghe, Chamara Dunushinghe, Pubudu Dassanayake, Rumesh Kaluwitharana and Lanka de Silva. But Lucky Rogers never got a look in.

“Well, there were financial constraints facing my family and I decided to play league cricket in Australia so that I could earn a living by playing the sport and look after my family. I guess I missed out because of that,” Lucky Rogers told The Island.

Lucky represented North Cofield for seven seasons and won the Victorian Championships twice. He is hailed down under in cricket circles as much as here. Lucky credits the values he brought to the game thanks to the coaches he had; Mr. Bernard Perera, Mr. Chandana Mahesh and Mr. Manjula Peiris. It reiterates a very pertinent point, the need to have quality coaches at school level.

Lucky Rogers is an example that you don’t have to play for Sri Lanka to leave an indelible mark in the game. He championed the cause of not so fancy teams as a schoolboy and in domestic cricket and later on when he took to coaching he taught the players finer points of the game, but more importantly to play the game in the right spirit. Men like him are rare and need to be celebrated.

All News Advertisement

Sports

Rahmat, Malik fifties lead Afghanistan’s strong reply

Published

6 hours ago

2026/10/11

Priyan

Rahmat Shah started his Test captaincy with a fantastic unbeaten half-century [Afghanistan Cricket Board]

Captain Rahmat Shah played a crucial knock as he held Afghaniistan together on the second day in Abu Dhabi. He blunted Bangladesh’s threat by adding 72 runs for the unbroken fifth wicket with his deputy Ikram Alikhil.

Rahmat was unbeaten on 84 off 186 balls with eight fours and a six, while Alikhil’s 26 came off 91 balls. Ebadot Hossain was Bangladesh’s best bowler of the day.

Bangladesh wicketkeeper Litton Das got his side back into the contest shortly after the tea break. He first took a brilliant diving catch to his right, when the set Abdul Malik edged Ebadot five balls into the third session. Malik made 62 off 120 balls, with five boundaries including a six.

Next over, Litton completed a fine stumping when a Mehidy Hasan Miraz delivery turned and bounced sharply against Hashmatullah Shahidi. The former Afghanistan captain lasted just two balls as he fell for a duck.

Alikhil started with two well-timed boundaries before reining himself in for the next nine overs. Rahmat broke the boundary drought with two fours off Nayeem Hasan in the 60th over. He first pumped the offspinner through midwicket before finding the gap through mid-off for the second four.

Afghanistan then held off the Bangladesh bowling for the next 17 overs without a single boundary. Finally in the 77th over, Rahmat struck Mehidy for two fours in a row, both superb shots through extra cover, as he brought up Afghanistan’s 200.

The day began with the Afghanistan pace bowlers removing the two remaining Bangladesh wickets. It took them 8.3 overs, with Mohammad Saleem picking up his fourth wicket, having Taijul Islam caught behind and Yamin Ahmadzai removing Ebadot with a slower delivery.

Saleem finished with 4 for 82, having taken 6 for 140 against India in Afghanistan’s previous Test in June. Ahmadzai took three and Ismat Alam two wickets. This was the first time a fast bowling attack took nine wickets in a Test innings in Abu Dhabi.

After bowling out Bangladesh for 346, Afghanistan went to lunch on 34 for 1. Sediqullah Atal edged Hasan Mahmud to first slip. Atal struck three fours in his knock but also survived a caught-behind appeal in the third over. Replays showed that he had inside-edged it but Bangladesh did not use the review.

After lunch, Afghanistan batted positively. Shahidullah swept Mehidy while Mahmud conceded two fours early. Malik played the ball confidently, but Bangladesh kept things tight from both ends. It created a wicket when Shahidullah top-edged a hook against Ebadot in the 21st over. Mahmud took a good tumbling catch running in from fine-leg, as Shahidullah fell for 20 off 44 balls.

Rahmat though immediately stamped his authority with a crunchy cover drive in the same over. He hit Taijul for a straight six shortly afterwards, with Malik repeating the dose to the same bowler after a few more overs. Malik also cover-drove Nayeem before reaching his maiden Test half-century in the 34th over.

Scores:
Afghanistan 211 for 4 in 80.5 overs (Abdul Malik 62, Rahmat Shah 84*, Ikram Alkhi 32*; Ebadot Hossain 2-50) trail Bangladesh 346 in 92.3 overs (Shadman Islam 67, Tanzid Hasan 83, Litton Das 53; Mohammad Saleem 4-82, Yamim Ahmadzai 3-79, Ismat Alam 2-20) by 135 runs

[Cricinfo]

Sports

Risindi and Anthony win ATF U16 Colombo Week I titles

Published

13 hours ago

2026/10/11

Thilina Walpola

Anthony Castigador

Risindi Hewawasam of Sri Lanka and Anthony Castigador of the Philippines won the girls’ and boys’ singles titles at the ATF 16 & Under Colombo 2026 – Week 1 tournament concluded at the Sri Lanka Tennis Association courts on Friday.

‎‎Castigador produced a dominant performance in the boys’ singles final, defeating India’s Gurshaan Chahal 6-2, 6-2 to secure the title. The Filipino maintained his advantage throughout the match, winning in straight sets to cap an impressive campaign.

Risindi Hewawasam (Pix by Kamal Wanniarachchi)

‎‎In the girls’ singles final, Risindi delivered an equally dominant display to beat compatriot Kiara Jayamanne 6-1, 6-1. (RF)

Sports

Dialog supports Sri Lanka’s Para athletes

Published

13 hours ago

2026/10/11

Thilina Walpola

Lasantha Theverapperuma (4th from left) presents the sponsorship exchange cheque to Brig, Dhananjaya Aludeniya (5th from left), marking Dialog Axiata’s continued commitment to supporting Sri Lankan para-athletes for the 5th Paralympic Asian Games

Dialog Axiata PLC is supporting Sri Lanka’s national contingent at the 2026 Asian Para Games in Achi Nagoya Japan, continuing its long standing commitment to supporting Sri Lankan athletes and helping them compete at the highest levels of international sport.

As the team sponsor, Dialog is backing a group of 21 athletes whose journeys have been shaped by determination, discipline and a strong desire to represent their country on the international stage. For Dialog, however, the value of this team goes well beyond the medal tally.

Each athlete has taken a different path into elite sport. Their physical abilities may differ, as do their individual stories, challenges, and ambitions. What they share is the commitment and determination required to train, compete, and continue pushing themselves to achieve their goals.

Dialog’s support reflects its wider commitment to creating opportunities for Sri Lankans to pursue their ambitions and represent the country with pride. For 26 years, Dialog has supported Paralympic sport in Sri Lanka, helping athletes compete at national and international level. Its continued support for the Asian Para Games contingent is part of that long-standing commitment to creating opportunities for athletes and recognizing sporting talent.

Among them is javelin thrower Samitha Dulan, a silver medalist at the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Para Games. Palitha Bandara, another experienced member of the athletics team, has also won medals at both the 2018 Jakarta and 2022 Hangzhou Games.

Nuwan Indika arrives with an impressive record after winning gold in the 100 meters and silver in the long jump at Hangzhou, while Pradeep Somasiri returns as an Asian Para Games champion after winning gold in the 1,500 metres.

Dhananjana Wickramasingha will also be looking to build on her silver medal winning performance in the women’s long jump at Hangzhou, while Madhuranga Subasinghe, who won bronze in the 400 metres, is also back in the squad.

Sri Lanka’s medal winning experience extends beyond athletics. Swimmer Naveed Rasheen won bronze in the 400 metre freestyle at Hangzhou, while Nadin Basnayake claimed silver in the women’s event.

The squad also includes Buddika Indrapala, who won bronze at the 2018 Asian Para Games.

Together, the contingent includes nine athletes who have previously won medals at the Asian Para Games, bringing valuable experience to the 2026 campaign.