Rod Marsh
Encyclopedia
Rodney William Marsh MBE
(born 4 November 1947) is a former Australia
n wicketkeeper.
A colourful character, Marsh had a Test career spanning from the 1970–71 to the 1983–84 Australian season. In 96 Tests, he set a world record of 355 wicketkeeping dismissals, the same number his pace bowling Western Australian team-mate Dennis Lillee
achieved with the ball. The pair were known for their bowler-wicketkeeper partnership, which yielded 95 Test wickets, a record for any such combination, and made their debuts and retired together. Wisden
stated that "Few partnerships between bowler and wicket-keeper have had so profound an impact on the game."
Marsh had a controversial start to his Test career, selected on account of his batting abilities. Sections of the media lampooned Marsh’s glovework, dubbing him “Iron Gloves” after sloppy catching in his debut Test. His keeping improved over time and by the end of his career he was regarded as one of the finest in the history of the sport. He was widely regarded for his sense of team discipline, in particular after Bill Lawry
controversially declared the Australian first innings closed in the Fifth Test of the 1970–71 series at the MCG with Marsh just eight runs short of a century. Greg Chappell
said he was one of only two players he knew who would kill to get into the Australian Test team, the other being Ian Redpath
.
, who became a professional golfer and won eleven times on the European Tour. Both brothers represented WA at cricket at schoolboy level. Marsh played his first competitive match at the age of eight for the Armadale under-16s. He kept wicket from the start, but batting was his strength. At thirteen he captained the state schoolboys' team, and joined the West Perth district club.
When he debuted for West Perth's first XI he was a specialist batsman, as WA wicketkeeper Gordon Becker also represented the club. In order to further his keeping, Marsh joined the University club
. Marsh made his first-class debut for WA, again as a specialist batsman, against the touring West Indies in 1968–69. He had an unusual match, scoring 0 and 104.
and Ray Jordon
as the team's wicketkeepers. In the autumn of 1970, an Australian second team toured New Zealand with John MacLean as wicketkeeper. Therefore, Marsh was behind these players in the pecking order. However, he was a controversial selection for the first Test of the 1970–71 Ashes series, replacing Taber. His superior batting had won him the position.
The media was quick to criticise Marsh’s glovework in his early career, dubbing him “Iron Gloves” after he missed a number of catches. Even on his debut in the First Test in the 1970-71 Ashes series he took four catches in his first innings. His batting proved invaluable on a number of occasions and in the Fifth Test, he equalled the record for the highest Test innings by an Australian keeper, set by Don Tallon. The end of the innings was controversial; the captain Bill Lawry
declared with Marsh eight runs short of a century so he could get an extra hour of bowling before stumps. When questioned by the press about his lost chance to make an historic century Marsh said he had gained forty runs instead of missing eight as he thought Lawry should have declared an hour earlier. Marsh later admitted that he was underprepared as a wicketkeeper, but he learned from watching his English counterpart Alan Knott
.
Marsh became an integral part of the team as the side improved during the 1972 tour of England. He became the first Australian keeper to hit a century by scoring 118 in the first Test against Pakistan
at Adelaide
in 1972–73. He also hit 236 against the tourists for WA, the best score of his career. Playing a key role in Australia's series victories over England and the West Indies in the series of 1974–75 and 1975–76, Marsh made many acrobatic dives to catch balls delivered by Dennis Lillee
and Jeff Thomson
. He took 45 dismissals in those two series, including a world-record 26 catches in six Tests against the West Indies.
Marsh scored an unbeaten 110 in the second innings of the Centenary Test against England in 1977, becoming the first Australian wicketkeeper to score a Test century against England. In the same match he passed Wally Grout
's Australian wicket-keeping record of 187 Test dismissals. He scored a further 16 half centuries. In first class matches, he accumulated 11 centuries including a best of 236, aggregating more than 10000 runs in his career.
When the breakaway World Series Cricket
was formed, Marsh had no hesitation in signing for Kerry Packer
. He claimed 54 dismissals in 16 Supertests. Upon his return to traditional international cricket in 1979–80, his age did not affect his keeping ability. On the 1981 tour of England, he took 23 dismissals to become the first wicketkeeper to take 100 dismissals in Ashes Tests, broke Knott’s world record in 22 fewer Tests and passed 3000 runs in Test cricket. In 1982-83, his second last season, he took 28 dismissals against England, including nine and eight in the Second and Third Test respectively.
* Jayawardene is the only non-wicketkeeper on this list
Statistics correct at 5 December 2010. Source:http://stats.cricinfo.com/ci/content/records/283457.html.
At state level, Marsh was a noted captain, leading the state to a Sheffield Shield and Gillette Cup double in both forms of the game in 1976–77. He had nine wins and seven losses in 20 Shield matches as captaincy, and seven from nine matches in the limited overs competition.
Marsh was an effective player in ODI matches, contributing as a keeper and a lower order batsmen. His power and aggression was put to good use in the closing overs, when he could score at a rapid rate. In one match against New Zealand in 1980–81, he struck 26 from the final over, with three sixes and two fours, before falling on the final ball.
in Adelaide
since its inception and was its director from 1990 to 2001.
Marsh was the Director of the England and Wales Cricket Board
(ECB) national academy from October 2001 to September 2005. During this time, England went from being a mediocre team to challenging Australia as the best team in Test cricket in 2005, they regained the Ashes after 16 years in Australian hands with a 2–1 win. Marsh later criticised the ECB for releasing Troy Cooley
, who had trained England's four pronged pace battery, and attacked Duncan Fletcher
's selection of Geraint Jones
as the wicket keeper ahead of Chris Read
. He once declared his cricketing allegiance to England and was at one time a selector for the English team.
In August 2006 the South Australian Cricket Association
announced Marsh had been appointed in a consultancy role to undertake a review of cricket throughout South Australia. Marsh had also worked with the Global Cricket Academy in Dubai
.
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(born 4 November 1947) is a former Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n wicketkeeper.
A colourful character, Marsh had a Test career spanning from the 1970–71 to the 1983–84 Australian season. In 96 Tests, he set a world record of 355 wicketkeeping dismissals, the same number his pace bowling Western Australian team-mate Dennis Lillee
Dennis Lillee
Dennis Keith Lillee, AM, MBE is a former Australian cricketer rated as the "outstanding fast bowler of his generation"...
achieved with the ball. The pair were known for their bowler-wicketkeeper partnership, which yielded 95 Test wickets, a record for any such combination, and made their debuts and retired together. Wisden
Wisden
The Wisden Group was a group of companies formed by John Wisden & Co Ltd, publishers of Wisden Cricketers' Almanack. As well as John Wisden & Co, the group included the The Wisden Cricketer magazine, Cricinfo – the world's highest traffic cricket website – and the Hawk-Eye computerised...
stated that "Few partnerships between bowler and wicket-keeper have had so profound an impact on the game."
Marsh had a controversial start to his Test career, selected on account of his batting abilities. Sections of the media lampooned Marsh’s glovework, dubbing him “Iron Gloves” after sloppy catching in his debut Test. His keeping improved over time and by the end of his career he was regarded as one of the finest in the history of the sport. He was widely regarded for his sense of team discipline, in particular after Bill Lawry
Bill Lawry
William Morris "Bill" Lawry, AM is a former cricketer who played for Victoria and Australia. He captained Australia in 25 Tests, winning nine, losing eight and drawing eight, and led Australia in the inaugural One Day International match, played in 1971...
controversially declared the Australian first innings closed in the Fifth Test of the 1970–71 series at the MCG with Marsh just eight runs short of a century. Greg Chappell
Greg Chappell
Gregory Stephen Chappell MBE is a former cricketer who captained Australia between 1975 and 1977 and then joined the breakaway World Series Cricket organisation, before returning to the Australian captaincy in 1979, a position he held until his retirement 1983...
said he was one of only two players he knew who would kill to get into the Australian Test team, the other being Ian Redpath
Ian Redpath
Ian Ritchie Redpath is a former Australian cricketer who played in 66 Tests and 5 ODIs from 1964 to 1976...
.
Early years
Marsh played backyard cricket with his older brother GrahamGraham Marsh
Graham Vivian Marsh MBE was one of the leading Australian professional golfers of his generation.-Career outline:Marsh was born in Kalgoorlie, Australia...
, who became a professional golfer and won eleven times on the European Tour. Both brothers represented WA at cricket at schoolboy level. Marsh played his first competitive match at the age of eight for the Armadale under-16s. He kept wicket from the start, but batting was his strength. At thirteen he captained the state schoolboys' team, and joined the West Perth district club.
When he debuted for West Perth's first XI he was a specialist batsman, as WA wicketkeeper Gordon Becker also represented the club. In order to further his keeping, Marsh joined the University club
University of Western Australia
The University of Western Australia was established by an Act of the Western Australian Parliament in February 1911, and began teaching students for the first time in 1913. It is the oldest university in the state of Western Australia and the only university in the state to be a member of the...
. Marsh made his first-class debut for WA, again as a specialist batsman, against the touring West Indies in 1968–69. He had an unusual match, scoring 0 and 104.
Test career
Marsh replaced the retired Becker for the 1969–70 season. At the time, Australia was touring India and South Africa with Brian TaberBrian Taber
Hedley Brian Taber is a former Australian cricketer who played in 16 Tests from 1966 to 1970....
and Ray Jordon
Ray Jordon
Raymond Clarence Jordon is a former Australian first-class cricketer who represented Victoria in the Sheffield Shield and toured with the Australian national cricket team...
as the team's wicketkeepers. In the autumn of 1970, an Australian second team toured New Zealand with John MacLean as wicketkeeper. Therefore, Marsh was behind these players in the pecking order. However, he was a controversial selection for the first Test of the 1970–71 Ashes series, replacing Taber. His superior batting had won him the position.
The media was quick to criticise Marsh’s glovework in his early career, dubbing him “Iron Gloves” after he missed a number of catches. Even on his debut in the First Test in the 1970-71 Ashes series he took four catches in his first innings. His batting proved invaluable on a number of occasions and in the Fifth Test, he equalled the record for the highest Test innings by an Australian keeper, set by Don Tallon. The end of the innings was controversial; the captain Bill Lawry
Bill Lawry
William Morris "Bill" Lawry, AM is a former cricketer who played for Victoria and Australia. He captained Australia in 25 Tests, winning nine, losing eight and drawing eight, and led Australia in the inaugural One Day International match, played in 1971...
declared with Marsh eight runs short of a century so he could get an extra hour of bowling before stumps. When questioned by the press about his lost chance to make an historic century Marsh said he had gained forty runs instead of missing eight as he thought Lawry should have declared an hour earlier. Marsh later admitted that he was underprepared as a wicketkeeper, but he learned from watching his English counterpart Alan Knott
Alan Knott
Alan Philip Eric Knott is a former Kent County Cricket Club and English cricketer, as a wicket-keeper-batsman....
.
Marsh became an integral part of the team as the side improved during the 1972 tour of England. He became the first Australian keeper to hit a century by scoring 118 in the first Test against Pakistan
Pakistani cricket team
The Pakistan cricket team is the national cricket team of Pakistan. Pakistan, represented by the Pakistan Cricket Board , is a full member of the International Cricket Council, and thus participates in , and cricket matches....
at Adelaide
Adelaide Oval
The Adelaide Oval is a sports ground in Adelaide, South Australia, located in the parklands between the Central Business District and North Adelaide...
in 1972–73. He also hit 236 against the tourists for WA, the best score of his career. Playing a key role in Australia's series victories over England and the West Indies in the series of 1974–75 and 1975–76, Marsh made many acrobatic dives to catch balls delivered by Dennis Lillee
Dennis Lillee
Dennis Keith Lillee, AM, MBE is a former Australian cricketer rated as the "outstanding fast bowler of his generation"...
and Jeff Thomson
Jeff Thomson
Jeffrey Robert Thomson is a former Australian cricketer. Known as "Thommo", he was one of the fastest bowlers ever to play Test cricket and was the opening partner of fellow fast bowler Dennis Lillee; their combination was one of the most fearsome in Test cricket history...
. He took 45 dismissals in those two series, including a world-record 26 catches in six Tests against the West Indies.
Marsh scored an unbeaten 110 in the second innings of the Centenary Test against England in 1977, becoming the first Australian wicketkeeper to score a Test century against England. In the same match he passed Wally Grout
Wally Grout
Arthur Theodore Wallace Grout was a Test cricketer who kept wicket for Australia and Queensland.Grout played in 51 Test matches between 1957 and 1966...
's Australian wicket-keeping record of 187 Test dismissals. He scored a further 16 half centuries. In first class matches, he accumulated 11 centuries including a best of 236, aggregating more than 10000 runs in his career.
When the breakaway World Series Cricket
World Series Cricket
World Series Cricket was a break away professional cricket competition staged between 1977 and 1979 and organised by Kerry Packer for his Australian television network, Nine Network. The matches ran in opposition to established international cricket...
was formed, Marsh had no hesitation in signing for Kerry Packer
Kerry Packer
Kerry Francis Bullmore Packer, AC was an Australian media tycoon. The son of Sir Frank Packer and Gretel Bullmore, the Packer family company owned controlling interest in both the Nine television network and leading Australian publishing company Australian Consolidated Press, which were later...
. He claimed 54 dismissals in 16 Supertests. Upon his return to traditional international cricket in 1979–80, his age did not affect his keeping ability. On the 1981 tour of England, he took 23 dismissals to become the first wicketkeeper to take 100 dismissals in Ashes Tests, broke Knott’s world record in 22 fewer Tests and passed 3000 runs in Test cricket. In 1982-83, his second last season, he took 28 dismissals against England, including nine and eight in the Second and Third Test respectively.
| Team | Bowler | WK or Fielder* | Matches | Wickets |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australia | Dennis Lillee | Rod Marsh | 69 | 95 |
| Australia | Glenn McGrath Glenn McGrath Glenn Donald McGrath AM , nicknamed "Pigeon", is a former Australian cricket player. He is one of the most highly regarded fast-medium pace bowlers in cricketing history, and a leading contributor to Australia's domination of world cricket from the mid-1990s to the early 21st century... |
Adam Gilchrist Adam Gilchrist Adam Craig Gilchrist AM , nicknamed "Gilly" or "Churchy", is an Australian international cricketer who currently captains Kings XI Punjab and recently captained Middlesex. He is an attacking left-handed batsman and record-breaking wicket-keeper, who redefined the role for the Australian national... |
71 | 90 |
| South Africa | Makhaya Ntini Makhaya Ntini Makhaya Ntini is a former South African cricketer who was the first ethnically black player to play for the South African team. A fast bowler, he tends to bowl from wide of the crease with brisk, although not express, pace... |
Mark Boucher Mark Boucher Mark Verdon Boucher is a South African cricketer, who holds the record for the most Test dismissals by a wicket-keeper. He was educated at Selborne College and has represented Border, Africa XI, ICC World XI, Royal Challengers Bangalore and Kolkata Knight Riders of the Indian Premier League, and... |
96 | 84 |
| Australia | Brett Lee Brett Lee Brett Lee is an Australian cricketer.After breaking into the Australian Test team, Lee was recognised as one of the fastest bowlers in world cricket... |
Adam Gilchrist | 65 | 81 |
| South Africa | Shaun Pollock Shaun Pollock Shaun Maclean Pollock is a retired South African cricketer who is considered a bowling all-rounder. From 2000 to 2003 he was the captain of the South African cricket team, and also played for Africa XI, World XI, Dolphins and Warwickshire. He was also chosen as the Wisden Cricketer of the Year in... |
Mark Boucher Mark Boucher Mark Verdon Boucher is a South African cricketer, who holds the record for the most Test dismissals by a wicket-keeper. He was educated at Selborne College and has represented Border, Africa XI, ICC World XI, Royal Challengers Bangalore and Kolkata Knight Riders of the Indian Premier League, and... |
88 | 79 |
| Sri Lanka | Muttiah Muralitharan Muttiah Muralitharan Muttiah Muralitharan , often referred to as Murali, is a former Sri Lankan cricketer who was rated the greatest Test match bowler ever by Wisden Cricketers' Almanack in 2002... |
Mahela Jayawardene Mahela Jayawardene Denagamage Proboth Mahela de Silva Jayawardene , known as Mahela Jayawardene, is the former captain of the Sri Lankan cricket team. He is a specialist batsman who has a Test average of over 50, and an ODI average in the 30s... * |
96 | 77 |
| West Indies | Malcolm Marshall Malcolm Marshall By 1984 Marshall was seen as one of the finest bowlers in the world, and he demoralised England that summer, especially at Headingley, where he ran through the order in the second innings to finish with 7-53, despite having broken his thumb whilst fielding in the first innings... |
Jeff Dujon Jeff Dujon Peter Jeffrey Leroy Dujon is a retired West Indian cricketer.He was the wicketkeeper for the West Indian cricket team of the 1980s, an athletic presence behind the stumps as well as a competent lower-order batsman.... |
68 | 71 |
Statistics correct at 5 December 2010. Source:http://stats.cricinfo.com/ci/content/records/283457.html.
Style
Powerfully built, Marsh was regarded as an all rounder for the majority of his career. Coupled with his short stature, his power suited him to the task of keeping wicket. Despite his bulk, which forced him to work heavily on reducing his weight in his early career, he had fast feet movement, combined with fast anticipation and reflexes which allowed him to cover more ground. He raised the role of wicketkeeper to a more prominent status in a team with his acrobatic diving, raucous appeals and habit of throwing a ball high into the air upon completing a dismissal. As the wicketkeeper, he made himself the focal point in the field and attempted to extract higher standards of concentration from both himself and his team-mates. Speaking of his understanding with Lillee, he said “"I've played with him so much now that most of the time I know what he is going to do before he has bowled" Marsh said, "I know from the way he runs up; the angle, the speed, where he hits the crease, where the ball is going to be.”At state level, Marsh was a noted captain, leading the state to a Sheffield Shield and Gillette Cup double in both forms of the game in 1976–77. He had nine wins and seven losses in 20 Shield matches as captaincy, and seven from nine matches in the limited overs competition.
Marsh was an effective player in ODI matches, contributing as a keeper and a lower order batsmen. His power and aggression was put to good use in the closing overs, when he could score at a rapid rate. In one match against New Zealand in 1980–81, he struck 26 from the final over, with three sixes and two fours, before falling on the final ball.
Coaching
Marsh was a coach at the Australian Cricket AcademyAustralian Cricket Academy
The Australian Cricket Academy, originally located at Henley Beach in Adelaide, was formed in 1987 as a joint initiative of the Australian Institute of Sport and the Australian Cricket Board . It was designed to be a finishing school for leading young cricketers and is a program within the AIS...
in Adelaide
Adelaide
Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...
since its inception and was its director from 1990 to 2001.
Marsh was the Director of the England and Wales Cricket Board
England and Wales Cricket Board
The England and Wales Cricket Board is the governing body of cricket in England and Wales. It was created on 1 January 1997 combining the roles of the Test and County Cricket Board, the National Cricket Association and the Cricket Council...
(ECB) national academy from October 2001 to September 2005. During this time, England went from being a mediocre team to challenging Australia as the best team in Test cricket in 2005, they regained the Ashes after 16 years in Australian hands with a 2–1 win. Marsh later criticised the ECB for releasing Troy Cooley
Troy Cooley
Troy James Cooley is a former first-class cricketer for the Tasmanian Tigers, and was bowling coach for the England cricket team for several years before returning to Australia in 2006.-Career:...
, who had trained England's four pronged pace battery, and attacked Duncan Fletcher
Duncan Fletcher
Duncan Andrew Gwynne Fletcher OBE is a former Zimbabwean cricketer, formerly captain of the Zimbabwean cricket team and the current coach of the Indian Cricket Team. He has been appointed as coach of the Indian Cricket Team on April 27, 2011...
's selection of Geraint Jones
Geraint Jones
Geraint Owen Jones MBE is an England cricketer of Welsh extraction but raised in Australia. Until August 2006 he was the first-choice wicketkeeper for England in both Test and One-day cricket, but fell behind Chris Read, Paul Nixon, Matt Prior and Tim Ambrose...
as the wicket keeper ahead of Chris Read
Chris Read
Christopher Mark Wells Read is an English cricketer, a wicket-keeper who is the captain of Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club...
. He once declared his cricketing allegiance to England and was at one time a selector for the English team.
In August 2006 the South Australian Cricket Association
South Australian Cricket Association
The South Australian Cricket Association is the peak body for the sport of cricket in South Australia. The association runs Adelaide Oval and the Southern Redbacks based in Adelaide, South Australia. SACA is the controlling body for the South Australian Grade Cricket League...
announced Marsh had been appointed in a consultancy role to undertake a review of cricket throughout South Australia. Marsh had also worked with the Global Cricket Academy in Dubai
Dubai
Dubai is a city and emirate in the United Arab Emirates . The emirate is located south of the Persian Gulf on the Arabian Peninsula and has the largest population with the second-largest land territory by area of all the emirates, after Abu Dhabi...
.