Botham caught off Marshall
Born 18 April 1958, Pine, Bridgetown, Barbados;
Died 4 November 1999, Bridgetown, Barbados.
I was at the MCG one hot day in the summer of a year I can't recall. I saw Malcolm Denzel Marshall, ball in hand, stutter at the top of his run up then charge in at breakneck speed and at that characteristic angle then, at the last second, the arm whipped over and a blink of an eye later, two of the Aussie wickets were ricochetting across the turf.
Jaws dropped all round.
Later we found that behind this prodigious talent was one of the finest and most compassionate men this world is likely to see. He was short compared to Garner, Roberts and Holding but he truly was quick, and his most feared weapon, the sudden bouncer, had all batsman shuffling at the crease.
Able to create late swing due to his grip and strange action, he was gnawingly accurate as well. They couldn't get him away. His swing and cut with the ball and that subtle change of pace were further weapons in his armoury which lifted him to the realm of 'awesome'.
Ricie Richardson said of him: "He is a great thinker, he knows the game, he was able to analyse every single batsman and I would like to say that I think he's probably the greatest artiste that we would have produced."
Malcolm Marshall was reasonable as a batsman, with a nice style and he held up his end, particularly the day he batted with one hand against England after injury, allowing his partner his century. Clive Lloyd said that the key to Marshall was that he never gave less than 100% following in the footsteps of his own hero, Sir Garfield Sobers and the great man's New Zealand stint in 1972 was the knock which set him on the path upwards.
Marshall left the bravado on the sporting field and off-field was one of the most thoughtful, caring and laconic of men, stubborn, never panicking, greatly enjoying the cameraderie, the dispute, the banter, the fast bowler's union and he was wont to dish out the advice. Other bowlers learnt from him as he learnt from them, particularly the leg cutter from Dennis Lillee. He was no arrogant snob.
What many did not realize at the time was that he was one of the bravest too, suffering a debilitating disease which eventually took its toll.
Peter Short brought him to Hampshire and he didn't disappoint. Quite often a bit lackadaisical getting to the ground on time, this added to his mystique and there's the story of certain opposition tailenders meeting his car and offering to carry his bags if he'd go a bit easy on them that day.
Finally he slowed and runs began to be scored off him and that's when he increasingly resorted to subterfuge, as Lillee had done before him. In the end, of course, it all had to end but no one wishes to dwell on that. Enough to remember the awesome, jet black [and that's no insult] bowler from Barbados and supporter of charity in later years.
One of the few players the opposition loved just as much as his temamates, though not on-field of course, almost all would say: "Long live Malcolm Denzil Marshall."
Died 4 November 1999, Bridgetown, Barbados.
I was at the MCG one hot day in the summer of a year I can't recall. I saw Malcolm Denzel Marshall, ball in hand, stutter at the top of his run up then charge in at breakneck speed and at that characteristic angle then, at the last second, the arm whipped over and a blink of an eye later, two of the Aussie wickets were ricochetting across the turf.
Jaws dropped all round.
Later we found that behind this prodigious talent was one of the finest and most compassionate men this world is likely to see. He was short compared to Garner, Roberts and Holding but he truly was quick, and his most feared weapon, the sudden bouncer, had all batsman shuffling at the crease.
Able to create late swing due to his grip and strange action, he was gnawingly accurate as well. They couldn't get him away. His swing and cut with the ball and that subtle change of pace were further weapons in his armoury which lifted him to the realm of 'awesome'.
Ricie Richardson said of him: "He is a great thinker, he knows the game, he was able to analyse every single batsman and I would like to say that I think he's probably the greatest artiste that we would have produced."
Malcolm Marshall was reasonable as a batsman, with a nice style and he held up his end, particularly the day he batted with one hand against England after injury, allowing his partner his century. Clive Lloyd said that the key to Marshall was that he never gave less than 100% following in the footsteps of his own hero, Sir Garfield Sobers and the great man's New Zealand stint in 1972 was the knock which set him on the path upwards.
Marshall left the bravado on the sporting field and off-field was one of the most thoughtful, caring and laconic of men, stubborn, never panicking, greatly enjoying the cameraderie, the dispute, the banter, the fast bowler's union and he was wont to dish out the advice. Other bowlers learnt from him as he learnt from them, particularly the leg cutter from Dennis Lillee. He was no arrogant snob.
What many did not realize at the time was that he was one of the bravest too, suffering a debilitating disease which eventually took its toll.
Peter Short brought him to Hampshire and he didn't disappoint. Quite often a bit lackadaisical getting to the ground on time, this added to his mystique and there's the story of certain opposition tailenders meeting his car and offering to carry his bags if he'd go a bit easy on them that day.
Finally he slowed and runs began to be scored off him and that's when he increasingly resorted to subterfuge, as Lillee had done before him. In the end, of course, it all had to end but no one wishes to dwell on that. Enough to remember the awesome, jet black [and that's no insult] bowler from Barbados and supporter of charity in later years.
One of the few players the opposition loved just as much as his temamates, though not on-field of course, almost all would say: "Long live Malcolm Denzil Marshall."
Not being a sports fan, I'm ashamed to admit I had never heard of MDM. But you make him come to life and he seems to have been such a nice, and brave, man.
ReplyDeleteso sad and with Wollomer dying today too.
ReplyDeleteterrible spelling, excuse me.
ReplyDeleteWoolmer died? I didn't know. Thanks. Spelling - get yourself over here, lad and we'll do some intensive Egnlhsi. then again, perhaps they were just typos at pseed. Wtah od ouy fink?
ReplyDelete