Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Full name | Rodney William Marsh | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Born |
Armadale, Western Australia, Australia |
4 November 1947 |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Nickname | Bacchus, Iron Gloves | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Batting style | Left-handed | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Bowling style | Occasional right arm off break | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Role | Wicket-keeper, later coach and selector | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Relations |
Graham Marsh (brother) Daniel Marsh (son) |
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International information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
National side | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Test debut (cap 249) | 27 November 1970 v England | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Last Test | 6 January 1984 v Pakistan | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
ODI debut (cap 7) | 5 January 1971 v England | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Last ODI | 12 February 1984 v West Indies | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Domestic team information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Years | Team | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1969–1984 | Western Australia | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Career statistics | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Source: Cricinfo, 20 November 2008 |
Rodney William Marsh MBE (born 4 November 1947) is a former Australian 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.
Marsh played backyard cricket with his older brother Graham, 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.