Attractive batsman Roy Dias 61 not out on Oct.18

An attractive right-hand batsman now turned coach, former Peterite cricketer Roy Luke Dias will be celebrating his 61st Birthday on October 18. He was an attractive batsman from his young days and besides his attractive knocks for St.Peter's, he went on to make many fine knocks in big company later on. He started playing cricket at a very young age and made it to the St.Peter's College first eleven cricket team at 14 years. Though he was not so attractive during his schooldays, he blossomed out to be a really attractive batsman later on and played some superb knocks in big-time cricket.

He started playing for Colts Cricket Club and later joined the Sinhalese Sports Club and it was at that point he really came out to show the cricket crazy public what a good batsman he was. It was in 1975 that he started playing big-time cricket. He toured India with the Sri Lanka team in November 1975 to play three unofficial 'Tests'. In the third Test at Nagpur, Roy Dias made 81 against a full India team which included Bishen Singh Bedi and S. Venkatraghavan. He was also seen in league cricket in England as he had three seasons with Droysden in the Saddleworth League in England.

Roy Dias was in the Sri Lanka team that went for the 1979 World Cup. On that particular tour, he really made his mark. Roy Dias became the second Sri Lankan player to score 1000 runs on an overseas tour. In the World Cup, Sri Lanka beat India to become the first Associate Member Country to beat a Full Member. Dias made his presence felt with a well made 50 in that particular match.

Came Sri Lanka's inaugural Test in 1982 and though Dias had an inauspicious start being dismissed by England's Bob Willis for a 'duck' at the Saravanamuttu Stadium, he plucked up courage in the second innings to a superb knock of 77 which included 11 fours.

After playing in the inaugural Test, Sri Lanka set fourth on her first overseas tour after the granting of Test status. This was to Pakistan and for Dias it was a tour to remember.

The first Test played at Karachi, he made 53 in the first innings and 19 in the second innings. In the second Test at Faisalabad, he missed his maiden Test century by a mere two runs - being out at 98.

It was in that match that Sidat Wettimuny made 157 to become Sri Lanka's first Test centurion.

Came the third and final Test played at Lahore, Roy Dias made his maiden Test century - 109 in a total of 240. What was more creditable was that his century came against a full Pakistan team that included star Imran Khan who did not play in the first two Tests. Imran Khan was at his fiery best as he returned career-best figures of 8 for 58.

Roy Dias was an instant draw in the One-Day series with scores of 57, 81 and 49 in the three-match series which Pakistan won 2-1. Dias was adjudged the Man of the Series. In the Test series, Dias had an aggregate of 295 for an average of 49.16 and in the ODI series he had an aggregate of 187 for an average of 62.33.

Roy Dias was once again the star of ODI series, making 39 in the first game and then scoring two successive centuries in the next two games. Despite Dias's fine efforts, Sri Lanka lost all three matches.

In the Test match, Dias made 60 in the first innings and 97 in the second innings. The highlight of the Test was the feat of Duleep Mendis who scored twin centuries.

But experts of the game were more concerned with the batting of Dias. Many critics were of the view that Dias would soon be one of the best batsmen in the world. They considered his innings of 97 in the second innings as one of the best innings played at Chepauk.

A. C. de S