Royals Pay Tribute to Hampshire Legend

Jan 22 2011

Players visit grave of Bajan bowler Malcolm Marshall

On Friday [22nd January] The Hampshire Royals squad spent a day visiting the grave of legendary Hampshire bowler Malcolm Marshall, who is buried in St Bartholomews Church in Christchurch, Barbados to pay their respects.

Marshall died from colon cancer in 1999 leaving a legacy that included more than 800 wickets for the county. He was also a member of the triumphant Hampshire side that won the Benson and Hedges Cup in 1992.

Hampshire manager Giles White played with him. Standing at the grave-side, White said; “He coached me for a couple of years. He was a very special man. He means a lot to me and to the whole team so when you come here, you realise how much you miss him.

“He had a huge impact on my career as a player and the club as a whole so I think it’s important to bring the side here because he encapsulates everything that was important about Hampshire. He was with us for a number of years and he gave his all to the club and he loved the club. That’s what clubs are all about; they’re about a family feeling so the people who put so much in it’s important that we remember them.”

Also at the grave-side, Hampshire Chairman Rod Bransgrove said; “It’s very emotional actually. I haven’t been here since the date of the funeral in November 1999. Those years seem to have gone very, very quickly. The memory hasn’t dimmed. He was a great man, great bowler and just a great friend and I’m very pleased that the team have come along here to show their respect today.

“You always have that same feeling when you’re close to the resting place of someone who was very close to you. It’s just great that the youngsters of today show that same respect for a great player and a great friend as we do who knew him.

“One of the best memories I have is playing against him in a benefit match when he literally put the fear of God up me and he laughed about it because he pretended to bowl seriously and he delivered what I would describe as a medium-fast delivery, but he told his friends he’d lobbed me a slow one! And even then I was just grateful that it hit the bat!”

“This is the heritage of our club. The club is about more than just a team of cricketers. They should embrace the ethos of the club and everyone who’s contributed to it whether they’re players or administrators or chefs; whatever they do, it’s important to the club. And nobody was more important than Malcolm Marshall in his time.”

Even Hampshire’s young wicketkeeper, Michael Bates was full of praise for Marshall. He said; “I think it just shows the sort of impact you can have on people’s lives just through cricket. Rod’s probably the man here who knows him as well as anyone and it’s clear that he was highly respected and loved by everyone who spent time around him. He was obviously a great in his time; an extraordinary man. I don’t think there’s anyone here who wouldn’t have wanted to know him.

“I think it’s important to gain an understanding of what’s come before us. We, the younger lads are here to pave the future of Hampshire Cricket so to know what came in the past is eye-opening.”

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Meanwhile, the Royals made it through to tonight’s [Saturday 22 January] semi-finals of the Caribbean T20 after Trinidad and Tobago beat Barbados by 51 runs in Bridgetown.

The win means Hampshire qualify in second position in Group B and will play the Windward Islands for a place in the final of the competition.

Their opponents topped Group A, beating reigning champions Guyana, Jamaica and a Combined Colleges and Campuses side to win three out of four group matches. The only match they lost was to Hampshire’s FPt20 final foes, Somerset.

Trinidad and Tobago top the Royals’ group and will meet Jamaica in the other semi-final.

You can follow all the action LIVE on our Facebook (www.facebook.com/hampshirecricket) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/hantscricket) sites from 8pm GMT tonight.