Mitchell Marsh proved once again that he is a special talent by hitting two high-pressure sixes off the last two balls of the game when Perth Scorchers needed exactly 12 runs to beat Dolphins. Shiamak Unwalla looks at the man who could find a place in Australia’s squad for the ICC World Cup 2015.
Javed Miandad hitting Chetan Chauhan for a six off the final ball to win the match is now part of cricketing folklore. Shivnarine Chanderpaul went one better when he hit Chaminda Vaas for a four and a six with 10 runs needed to win. Mitchell Marsh outshone both of them.
He had done it to Dale Steyn merely 18 days ago. What chance did poor Robbie Frylinck have? To be fair to Frylinck, he had gone for just 16 runs off his three overs. He wasn’t new to bowling the final over of a high-pressure chase either; he kept his wits about him to give away just 11 runs to Cape Cobras when they needed 14 to win the Ram Slam final earlier this year. Even here, he conceded just four off the first four balls with a wicket, leaving Marsh 12 runs to get off his last two balls.
But then, Marsh is a special talent. He advanced down the track and converted what would have been a yorker or a low full-toss at best, into a juicy waist-high delivery that was duly displaced over midwicket. Frylinck perhaps let his nerves best him off the final ball; this time it was a nothing full toss, and Marsh would have hit that out of the park all week.
One thing that truly stands about Marsh is his ability to go from a defensive accumulator to a savage, clean slogger in the blink of an eye. It’s almost like he has to turn a switch, and he’s into six-hitting mode. In his innings of 86 not out against South Africa earlier this month, he was on eight from 17 at one point, later on 18 off 26, and then 22 off 29.
At the end of the 46th over, he was on 29 off 31 courtesy a six off Imran Tahir. He proceeded to hit the next three balls — bowled by no less a bowler than Dale Steyn — over the ropes with effortless ease and mindboggling strength. Marsh’s first 26 balls yielded him 18. His next 25 balls brought him 68. He hit five boundaries and seven sixes in that innings, and showed exactly how dangerous a batsman he is — a trend that was on display against Dolphins last night.
Marsh comes from a family of good cricketers. His older brother Shaun, while ridiculously talented, seems to lack consistency. Their father Geoff is well night a legend in Australian cricket. And yet, young Mitchell is showing the potential to outdo both of them. It may still be early days, but with Shane Watson showing signs of wear and tear, Australia could well pin their hopes on the another all-rounder who can pull out sixes from almost nowhere when they are needed the most. A call-up for the ICC World Cup 2015 could be on the cards.
(Shiamak Unwallais a reporter with CricketCountry. He is a self-confessed Sci-Fi geek and Cricket fanatic who likes to pass his free time by reading books, watching TV shows, and eating food. Sometimes all at the same time)
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