Tom Rogers' schoolmates knew he was destined to be something special as they lined the slips cordon.
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One by one, catches went down.
They were just coming too quickly, mused one of Rogers' former Daramalan College first XI teammates this week.
The slips couldn't move quickly enough when Rogers, called in to bolster the college's Twenty20 side, found the edge - that's if they even saw the ball at all.
Appearances in his school's black and red cap were few and far between for Rogers, the boy wonder already a regular in Weston Creek Molonglo's grade set-up.
![Tom Rogers claimed career-best figures in the Melbourne derby. Picture Getty Images Tom Rogers claimed career-best figures in the Melbourne derby. Picture Getty Images](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/36vwtM5n3dmMVgNPycRBEHz/0726bcf4-c28c-41b8-bf86-6c6f3f761e0c.jpg/r0_43_1937_1136_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
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Now the 28-year-old finds himself back in red and black - and the best bowling figures for a male in Melbourne Renegades history suggests, this time, the chances are sticking.
Rogers claimed 5-16 to lead the Renegades to a BBL derby win over the Melbourne Stars at the MCG this week.
Those figures - and being swept up in cricket's latest Mankad drama - continues a whirlwind season in which Rogers started without a state deal before a Tasmanian recall saw the ACT product rise to the top of the domestic one-day cup's leading wicket takers list.
"I was a bit crook for the last couple of games, it's never an excuse but I didn't perform the way I'd like to. I was a little bit flat," Rogers said after his career-best BBL haul.
"I woke up on [Tuesday morning], I had my niece's birthday dinner [on Monday] night, they came down from Canberra. I woke up in good spirits, feeling good. It's just fantastic to contribute to a win and an important one at that.
![Adam Zampa caused a stir with his Mankad attempt on Tom Rogers. Picture Getty Adam Zampa caused a stir with his Mankad attempt on Tom Rogers. Picture Getty](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/36vwtM5n3dmMVgNPycRBEHz/93270247-c397-4ac4-adb5-163a57765684.jpg/r0_58_3738_2168_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
"I've felt pretty good warming up and leading into games. It is just nice to get some rewards.
"I was pretty keen to come into this game and aim to be economical, and play my little role and contribute to hopefully building pressure, and letting Mujeeb [Ur Rahman], Akeal [Hosein] and [Kane Richardson] pick up some wickets."
The Melbourne derby reached a flashpoint when Stars leg-spinner Adam Zampa "saw red" and attempted a Mankad on Rogers as the Renegades tailender crept out of his crease at the non-striker's end.
Rogers was deemed not out because Zampa's bowling arm had gone past its highest point before he knocked the bails off.
Zampa copped a pasting from the MCG crowd after reigniting one of cricket's most divisive debates before Rogers - who says he wouldn't Mankad an opposition player - had the last laugh.
"I'm a little bit confused by the rule. Obviously because it's been the flavour of the month for a little while, I was probably staying in my crease a little bit longer than I have in the past so I thought I was going to be okay," Rogers said.
"It gets a bit murky, doesn't it? If someone gets halfway down the wicket, everyone would not be too happy about it.
"Hopefully it all settles down and washes away in the next couple of months, or by the end of the cricket season here. I'm sure there's plenty of positive things we can talk about in the game."
Like the night 38,564 came to the MCG and saw Rogers rip through the Stars.
"We're so lucky to play cricket and have 40,000 people roll out and watch us, it's just bloody exciting," Rogers said. "If you can't get up and amped for that, then something's wrong with you."
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