Geoff Marsh
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Geoff Marsh
Australia
Personal information
Batting style	Right-handed batsman (RHB)
Bowling style	Right arm off-spin
Career statistics
	Tests	ODIs
Matches	50	117
Runs scored	2854	4357
Batting average	33.18	39.97
100s/50s	4/15	9/22
Top score	138	126*
Overs	0	1
Wickets	0	0
Bowling average	N/A	N/A
5 wickets in innings	0	0
10 wickets in match	0	n/a
Best bowling	N/A	N/A
Catches/stumpings	38c	31c
Source: [1], 7 May 2005

Geoffrey Robert Marsh (born 31 December 1958 in Northam, Western Australia) was an Australian cricketer, coach and selector. He played 50 Test matches and over 100 One Day Internationals for Australia as an opening batsman. As a coach he was in charge when Australia won the 1999 Cricket World Cup in England, before later coaching Zimbabwe for four years.

Playing career

Marsh was a steady, determined right-handed opening batsman and capable fielder, making his first-class debut for Western Australia as a nineteen year old in the 1977-1978 Sheffield Shield season. In 1978 he played five games of Australian rules football for South Fremantle in the West Australian Football League before concentrating only on cricket.

Marsh established himself as a solid competitor on the domestic front and was on the fringes of the national team for a number of years before winning selection in the Australian Test team. He made his debut in December 1985 against India.

He soon made the opening position his own, batting alongside the likes of Mark Taylor and David Boon, and became an integral part of the Australian One Day International team.

Marsh played international cricket over a seven-year period, ending in 1992.

He is best remembered for his part in the Australian team that won the 1987 World Cup in India, including an unbeaten 126 against New Zealand in Chandigarh, while he also captained his country in four matches. Over his career Marsh was a solid performer in one-day international cricket, with a batting average of nearly 40 but had a very low strike rate compared to more recent opening batsman.

Geoff Marsh's Test career batting performance.

Coaching career

Marsh retired from playing cricket in 1994 before taking up coaching. In July 1996 he was chosen as coach of the Australian national Test and one-day international teams, playing a vital part in continuing his country's positions as the top cricketing nation of the time. He was the coach of the Australian team that won the 1999 World Cup in England, guiding the team to seven consecutive victories to help them win the tournament.

He left the Australian coaching job and soon became a selector for the Australian Cricket Board (now Cricket Australia), although he left this position in 2001 to become coach of the Zimbabwean national teams. Marsh continued in this position until 2004 when his contract expired; many considered this decision was made due to the political circumstances of Zimbabwe's government under Robert Mugabe, although he has never commented publicly on the matter.

Family

Marsh's son Shaun plays cricket for state side Western Australia and made his debut for Australia during the ODI series against the West Indians. He also plays in the Indian Premier League for the Kings XI Punjab team. He was the top scorer in the inaugural tournament scoring 611 runs.

His daughter Melissa plays basketball for the Perth Lynx in the WNBL and his youngest son Mitchell is a promising young cricketer and AFL player who has represented both WA and Australia at youth level.^[1] His son-in-law is the exiled Zimbabwean Test cricketer Sean Ervine.^[2]

Career highlights

Tests

Test Debut: vs India, Adelaide, 1985-1986
Last Test: vs India, Adelaide, 1991-1992

• Marsh's best Test batting score of 138 was made against England, Nottingham, 1989

One-day internationals

ODI Debut: vs New Zealand, Sydney, 1985-1986
Last ODI: vs Pakistan, Perth, 1991-1992

• Marsh's best ODI batting score of 146 not out was made against New Zealand, Chandigarh, 1987 World Cup
• He captained Australia in four ODIs, winning three and losing one

First class cricket

Marsh scored 11,760 runs at 39.46, with 33 centuries.

• His 355* for WA v SA in Dec 1989 is the 28th highest score in first class history, and the 10th highest by an Australian.

See also

• CricInfo Player Profile : Geoff Marsh
• HowSTAT! statistical profile of Geoff Marsh

References

v • d • e Australia squad – 1987 Cricket World Cup (1st title) 1 Border (c) • 2 Boon • 3 Dyer (wk) • 4 Jones • 5 Marsh • 6 May • 7 McDermott • 8 Moody • 9 O'Donnell • 10 Reid • 11 Taylor • 12 Veletta • 13 Waugh • 14 Zesers

v • d • e Australia squad – 1992 Cricket World Cup 1 Border (c) • 2 Boon • 3 Healy (wk) • 4 Hughes • 5 Jones • 6 Marsh • 7 McDermott • 8 Moody • 9 Reid • 10 MA Taylor • 11 PL Taylor • 12 ME Waugh • 13 SR Waugh • 14 Whitney

v • d • e Australia squad – 1999 Cricket World Cup (2nd title) 1 S Waugh (c) • 2 Bevan • 3 Fleming • 4 Reiffel • 5 Warne • 6 M Waugh • 7 Julian • 8 Lee • 9 Moody • 10 Lehmann • 11 McGrath • 12 Gilchrist • 13 Dale • 14 Ponting • 15 Martyn • Coach: Marsh

v • d • e Zimbabwe squad – 2003 Cricket World Cup 1 Streak (c) • 2 Blignaut • 3 Ebrahim • 4 Ervine • 5 A Flower (wk) • 6 GW Flower • 7 Friend • 8 Hondo • 9 Marillier • 10 Murphy • 11 Olonga • 12 Taibu (wk) • 13 Vermeulen • 14 Whittall • 15 Wishart • 16 Campbell • 17 Matsikenyeri • Coach: Marsh Campbell and Matsikenyeri replaced Vermeulen and Murphy on 10 March 2003