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Malcolm MARSHALL

The record books show that Malcolm Marshall played for Hampshire from 1979-1993, after which he returned as coach, until a serious illness cut short his life at the age of just 41.

In those 15 seasons as a player, he scored nearly 6,000 runs for Hampshire at 25.20 and took 826 wickets at an average of 18.64. In a much briefer career, Andy Roberts averaged 16.70 but only Derek Shackleton of men who played more than 100 first-class games had a (slightly) better average and he was the only other regular player to be under 20 runs per wicket. Marshall also took 239 limited-overs wickets for Hampshire but his highest achievement was 376 Test wickets at 20.94 – he was simply one of the greatest fast bowlers ever to play first-class cricket.

In that context, his loyalty to his county side was remarkable, even more so in these days where few overseas professionals stay at one club for more than two or three seasons. In the future, historians may well see this period as the ‘golden age’ of the overseas cricketer in the county game and if so it is unlikely that anyone will be considered to have surpassed Marshall’s loyalty and commitment to the Hampshire cause. In addition to his wonderful contributions as a cricketer, he was also one of the nicest of men and seemed always happy to meet supporters and talk about the days play.

When he arrived relatively unknown in 1979 he joined a Hampshire side that in a few years had lost most of the high achievers of the mid-1970s. He seemed rather slight for a fast bowler but topped the averages as he would do in each of his full seasons between then and 1990 with the exception of 1987 – even then he had 76 wickets at less than 20 each. It is instructive to notice the variation in Hampshire’s Championship position during the 1980s. Generally they were a challenging side when Marshall was there, whereas when he toured in 1980, 1984 and 1986 they were in the lower reaches (last in 1980).

His greatest year for Hampshire was 1982 when he took 134 wickets at 15.73 – a performance, perhaps the only one by anyone, to compare with Roberts in 1974. No one has taken more wickets for Hampshire in one season in the past 45 years and it will never happen again. On his two tours of England in 1984 and 1988 Marshall took 59 Test wickets as England were hammered – at Leeds in 1984, he bowled with his arm in plaster, taking 7-53.

Hampshire nearly won the title in 1985 as Marshall scored 768 runs and took 95 wickets at 17.68. Tim Tremlett gave him good support but in his best years he never bowled with a regular opening partner. Despite his impact on Hampshire’s Championship performances and his part in the Sunday League triumph of 1986 it was odd that when Hampshire finally reached Lord’s and won a Final and when they returned in 1991, Marshall was absent touring. In 1992 he got his chance in the B&H Final against Kent and while his powers were beginning to wane, he scored 24 quick runs and then took 3-33. Robin Smith was Man-of-the-Match but Nicholas presented Marshall to the crowd and he waved happily with the sense of a job complete.

Unlike many fast bowlers he was a serious batsmen, occasionally batting in the top half of the order. He scored five centuries for the county and was close to 1,000 runs in 1990. He retired from county cricket in 1993 at the age of 35 and played a little in South Africa before returning to coach at Hampshire. This was another difficult period of transition for the county, exacerbated for Marshall when he fell ill. For most of 1999 he was unable to fulfil those duties and when he died in November his county was represented at the funeral in Barbados and the county honoured him with a memorial service in Southampton. He was a great man and a great cricketer.