Lillee pays emotional tribute to Australian great Marsh at funeral
‘I miss my mate,’ fast bowler says in recalling how his friendship with much-loved wicketkeeper blossomed slowly
17 March 2022 - 14:58
byShrivathsa Sridhar
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Australia fast bowler Dennis Lillee is pictured wearing a World Series Cricket T-Shirt in January 1979 in Sydney, Australia. File photo: GETTY IMAGES/HULTON ARCHIVE/ALLSPORT/ADRIAN MURRELL
Former Australian fast bowler Dennis Lillee led the tributes at much-loved cricketer Rod Marsh’s funeral on Thursday, describing the wicketkeeper-batsman who died this month as a unique man with whom he developed a lasting friendship.
Marsh, who played 96 Tests in the 1970s and 1980s, died at the age of 74 in Adelaide, eight days after a heart attack on his way to a charity event in Queensland.
“Caught Marsh, bowled Lillee” appeared on Test scorecards 95 times as the moustachioed Western Australian combination wreaked havoc on opposing batting orders in a golden era for cricket Down Under.
“It’s taken me days to be able to write my thoughts down on this amazing bloke,” Lillee said in Adelaide. “I don’t want to talk about his cricket ability because that’s been very well documented — it’s the person Rod Marsh that I loved.
“It’s something that grew over time, even after our careers were finished.”
Lillee, who made his Test debut in the same Ashes series as Marsh, told about 800 mourners that his friendship with the wicketkeeper did not get off to the best start.
“One day after a day’s play, him, unusually with a beer in his hand and me pouring a full-strength soft drink ready to chat, he said to me: ‘I gotta tell you, I don’t trust you’,” Lillee said to laughter.
“Gradually our friendship blossomed. I miss my mate and will keep remembering the good times. He was a one-off.”
Marsh’s professional golfer brother Graham recalled how the cricketer had rescued him from a town bully in their childhood.
“I learnt two valuable lessons from my little brother that day, I always wanted to be on his team, and secondly, he would do anything to protect his family,” Graham said.
A recorded message from former Australia wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist was played before Marsh’s former teammates John Inverarity and Bruce Laird spoke.
Support our award-winning journalism. The Premium package (digital only) is R30 for the first month and thereafter you pay R129 p/m now ad-free for all subscribers.
Lillee pays emotional tribute to Australian great Marsh at funeral
‘I miss my mate,’ fast bowler says in recalling how his friendship with much-loved wicketkeeper blossomed slowly
Former Australian fast bowler Dennis Lillee led the tributes at much-loved cricketer Rod Marsh’s funeral on Thursday, describing the wicketkeeper-batsman who died this month as a unique man with whom he developed a lasting friendship.
Marsh, who played 96 Tests in the 1970s and 1980s, died at the age of 74 in Adelaide, eight days after a heart attack on his way to a charity event in Queensland.
“Caught Marsh, bowled Lillee” appeared on Test scorecards 95 times as the moustachioed Western Australian combination wreaked havoc on opposing batting orders in a golden era for cricket Down Under.
“It’s taken me days to be able to write my thoughts down on this amazing bloke,” Lillee said in Adelaide. “I don’t want to talk about his cricket ability because that’s been very well documented — it’s the person Rod Marsh that I loved.
“It’s something that grew over time, even after our careers were finished.”
Lillee, who made his Test debut in the same Ashes series as Marsh, told about 800 mourners that his friendship with the wicketkeeper did not get off to the best start.
“One day after a day’s play, him, unusually with a beer in his hand and me pouring a full-strength soft drink ready to chat, he said to me: ‘I gotta tell you, I don’t trust you’,” Lillee said to laughter.
“Gradually our friendship blossomed. I miss my mate and will keep remembering the good times. He was a one-off.”
Marsh’s professional golfer brother Graham recalled how the cricketer had rescued him from a town bully in their childhood.
“I learnt two valuable lessons from my little brother that day, I always wanted to be on his team, and secondly, he would do anything to protect his family,” Graham said.
A recorded message from former Australia wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist was played before Marsh’s former teammates John Inverarity and Bruce Laird spoke.
Reuters
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