Personally, I’m somewhat ambivalent toward the music of Crowded House. I prefer less mainstream fare where tunes are concerned. However, when considering the fading cricket careers of Shaun and Mitchell Marsh, the line from the chorus Crowded House’s iconic hit “Don’t Dream It’s Over” seems appropriate.
While ‘the House’ were implying that the ‘romance’ existing within the song wasn’t over, I’m using it to imply nothing. Instead, I am using it to make explicit, the reason why Australian cricket fans should be moving on from the Marsh brothers. Don’t dream: it is over.
In over five years as an on again/off again member of the Australian test team, Shaun Marsh has played in just 19 tests. That is is the same amount as his brother Mitchell, although Mitch didn’t come into the squad until three years later.
This has led Ian Chappell to state that he has “put a line” through Shaun Marsh’s name in a recent radio interview in Adelaide.
“He plays one, then he misses two, plays one, misses two. You can’t have fellas injured all the time.”
Clearly, Shaun Marsh is done. Even if he does get one more go, one more injury would end him for good.
It’s a shame. An average of 40.15 with four centuries and five fifties in 34 innings with a high score of 182, shows that had injury not plagued him so he would probably be an incumbent feature in the squad today. Maybe even go on to become a potential captain or vice-captain.
Maybe with his brother as a more regular part of the team, Mitch’s own career may be faring a little better. An average of 23.19 with the bat, and only two 50s in 31 innings, isn’t great for someone who is batting around fourth or fifth drop. He hasn’t even crossed 1000 runs yet, he’s not even close on 626 career test runs. His batting is well short of the mark.
However, in his defence, some of the batting performances above him in several innings weren’t great either. But a 100+ score in one those innings would be working wonders for his career now.
Mitch’s bowling isn’t much better either. 29 wickets in 19 tests isn’t terrible, but the average of 37.28 is. His strike rate 64.38 isn’t the worst around. It means if he bowls 10 overs in a day, you expect a wicket from him, which for an interchange bowler isn’t bad.
Yet his economy rate is 3.47, that’s a bit pricey for Test cricket. Combined with his 37.28 average, it is cause for concern.
Here’s why. Smith wants to rest Hazlewood and Starc for 10 overs. Marsh will bowl 5 and another bowler will take 5. The problem being, that Marsh will give up 20 odd runs or more down his end with a statistical 50/50 chance of getting a wicket – on a good day. It means it’s up to the other guy bowling to have a good day. Otherwise, while Hazlewood and Starc are having a rest, the opposition batters are putting on a 50 run partnership, getting their eye in, and leaving a big hill for those two to climb when they come back in.
In other words, Mitchell Marsh doesn’t put pressure on the opposition with either bat or ball.
And so, Mitch Marsh’s day has come to an end, along with his brother; and that sucks.
Geoff Marsh was a bloody legend in cricket. His first day 301 run partnership with Mark Taylor at Trent Bridge in the 1989 ashes series is the stuff of legend. It marked a rallying point in Australian Test cricket, a literal “we’re not going to take it” – as Dee Snider of Twisted Sister would put it – of a generation.
It marked a time in Australian history when we really needed a win. As a nation, we were stuck in the “recession we had to have,” unemployment was in double figures, pyramid schemes had destroyed the savings accounts and mortgages of thousands of ordinary Australians. Things were murky brown all over.
Then along came that 1989 Ashes series, and suddenly, things weren’t quite as murky brown anymore. The news headlines weren’t so bleak, Australia was finally having a win! Oh yeah, and some stuff about a wall coming down and the fall of communism happened too. But we won the Ashes, 4-0.
The Marsh brothers came into cricket almost cursed by this history. Of course they would do well, they’re the Marsh brothers. Their blood is pure bloody legend.
Yet it never happened.
Shaun cursed with injury, Mitchell cursed by inability, both cursed by a legend based on a myth, that like all myths, never existed in the first place.
For one beautiful moment we could all see the dream. The dream of Shaun and Mitchell Marsh spearheading Australian cricket toward glorious victory after glorious victory. The blade of the bat flashing in the sun as yet another hundred was scored. The dull thud of an off stump being ripped out of the ground. The crowd cheering “Marsh, Marsh Marsh!” – that’s the way it was meant to be.
The dawn of an era of Australian cricket, that we lament, because it never was. Now, realistically, it never will be.
Hey now! Don’t dream, it’s over.
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