Rod Marsh

Rodney William Marsh MBE (4 November 1947 – 4 March 2022) was an Australian professional cricketer who played as a wicketkeeper for the Australian national team. Marsh had a Test career spanning from the 1970–71 to the 1983–84 Australian seasons. He was widely regarded as one of the finest wicketkeepers in the history of the sport, setting a world record of 355 wicketkeeping dismissals in 96 Tests, the same number his pace bowling Western Australian teammate 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. They made their Test debuts in the same series and retired from Test cricket in the same match. 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 he was known for his athletic keeping and sense of team discipline. He came close to a maiden century during his first Ashes series in 1970-71, making an unbeaten 92 in Melbourne before captain Bill Lawry declared with Australia nine down. He later became the first Australian wicketkeeper to score a Test century when he reached triple figures against England in the 1977 Centenary Test. On the 1981 tour of England, Marsh became the first keeper to claim 100 dismissals in Ashes Tests. After retiring from playing, Marsh commentated on Australian television before taking on a coaching role at the Australian National Academy. He later took on a similar role with the England and Wales Cricket Board and was a selector for the men's team from 2001 to 2005. Marsh served as the Australian chairman of selectors from 2014 to 2016, stepping down after Australia were hammered at home by South Africa. In 2009, Marsh was inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame. Marsh was born in Armadale, Western Australia to Ken and Amy Marsh, who adopted him when he was six months old. His biological father was Jack Dutton, who put up his three children for adoption after his wife died giving birth to one of his sisters. Marsh discovered this dark family secret when he appeared in an episode of Who Do You Think You Are? in 2010. He also learned that his great grandfather by adoption, Dan Marsh, was a convict who was sent to Australia in 1868 after being charged with manslaughter for shooting a man during a scuffle in Derby, England. Marsh married Roslyn Marsh and they had three sons: Dan, Paul and Jamie. Dan and Paul both played cricket professionally, with Dan being a former captain of Tasmania and Paul being a former chief executive of the Australian Cricketers' Association. Jamie also played cricket at club level. Marsh died on 4 March 2022 in Adelaide, South Australia after suffering a heart attack while travelling to a charity cricket match in Queensland. He was 74 years old. His death sparked an outpouring of grief and tributes from the cricket world, with many former players and colleagues praising his contribution to the game and his larger-than-life personality.