Neville Rogers

Neville Rogers

Personal information
Full name	Neville Hamilton Rogers
Born	(1918-03-09)9 March 1918 Cowley, Oxfordshire, England
Died	7 October 2003(2003-10-07) (aged 85) Southampton, Hampshire, England
Batting	Right-handed
Bowling	Unknown
Domestic team information
Years	Team
1946–1955	Hampshire
1949–1954	Marylebone Cricket Club
Career statistics
Competition First-class Matches 298 Runs scored 16,056 Batting average 32.04 100s/50s 28/75 Top score 186 Balls bowled 28 Wickets 0 Bowling average – 5 wickets in innings – 10 wickets in match – Best bowling – Catches/stumpings 196/–
Source: [1], 16 April 2023

Neville Hamilton Rogers (9 March 1918 – 7 October 2003) was an English first-class cricketer who played for Hampshire.

Rogers was a right-handed top order batsman and scored a century before lunch against the touring West Indians in 1950. He never played for England but came close in 1951, acting at the 12th man in a Test against South Africa at The Oval. He passed 1000 runs in a season every year from 1947 until 1955. His highest season total was 2244 runs in 1952 and made his highest score of 186 against Gloucestershire the previous year.

Rogers hailed from a well-known Oxfordshire cricketing family, with his father and uncle taking more than 1,000 wickets between them for Oxfordshire in minor counties cricket. He was born in Cowley and was educated at the City of Oxford High School for Boys. After playing for Oxford City Cricket Club, he trialled with Hampshire in 1939. However, the outbreak of the Second World War interrupted the nascent stages of his cricket career, with Rogers serving in the war in the Royal Artillery. He returned to Hampshire initially as a middle order batsman following the war, making his debut in first-class cricket against Worcestershire at Southampton in the 1946 County Championship; his debut season saw him make 27 first-class appearances, though he made only 696 runs at an average of 16.97. His output improved from his 28 matches the following season, during which he played as an opening batsman alongside Johnny Arnold, with Rogers passing 1,000 runs for the first time. In the lead-up to making his first century, he made four scores in the nineties, before making an unbeaten 103 against Cambridge University. He soon followed this up with a maiden County Championship century against Nottinghamshire, having been dropped at gully while on 19.

Against the touring West Indians in 1950, he made a century before lunch on the third day of the match, in doing so he also passed 1,000 runs for the season.

Rogers went onto surpass 1,000 runs for the season every year between 1947 and 1955. In 1954, he carried his bat through four completed innings, a record bettered only once in the history of first-class cricket. With the arrival of Roy Marshall and his residential qualification for Hampshire in 1955, that he and Rogers would form a potent opening force, however this did not materialise, with Rogers dropping down the order in 1955 in order to facilitate Marshall's position at the top of the order. Rogers subsequently retired from first-class cricket at the end of that season to go into business with former teammate Jim Bailey.

Rogers continued to play club cricket for in Southampton for Deanery Cricket Club, and in later life he was a member of the Hampshire committee, where he supported Jimmy Gray in his capacity as chairman. He was also a commentator on Hampshire matches for BBC Radio Solent. Rogers died in Southampton on 7 October 2003, with his funeral being held at Southampton Crematorium on 17 October.

External links

• Neville Rogers at ESPNcricinfo