Famous Cricketers No 90 - Roy Edwin Marshall

played many more Test matches had he arrived at a different time. To this day, several Barbadians remain convinced that the West Indies would not have lost so convincingly to England in 1957 nor to Australia at all in 1960/61 had Marshall been in the team. They also regard him as second only to the legendary George Challenor among all of the white batsmen produced by the West Indies. By playing for Hampshire on a regular basis, Marshall was able to become the first West Indian to exceed 15,000 runs in first-class cricket and the first to accumulate more than 50 first-class centuries. While Gary Sobers passed Marshall’s output of centuries even before the latter’s retirement, Roy’s first-class aggregate of 35,725, remained a West Indian record until the early 1990s and has thus far been surpassed only by Gordon Greenidge (37,354) and Viv Richards (36,212). But even these two superstars would have fallen far short of Marshall’s productivity had he not been forced by the regulations then in vogue to reside quietly in the Hampshire neighbourhood for at least two years. Roy was then (1953-55) close to his peak and might well have tallied more than 4,000 additional runs in those wasted seasons. Two more summers, 1951 and 1952, were also spent away from first-class cricket while Marshall toiled for Lowerhouse in the Lancashire Cricket League. He did so without spectacular results, especially in the first year when Lowerhouse finished almost at the bottom of the table. In 1952, however, Marshall’s form improved and Lowerhouse moved all the way from 12th to sixth place in the standings. His personal contribution amounted to 969 runs (ave 48.45) and 46 wickets at 18.63 runs apiece. Marshall possessed rare cricket acumen and could also have been a resourceful Test captain had he been given the chance. It is sometimes said, however, that his firm views on cricket and his tendency to express them with undue verve made him a difficult player to captain. But both Hampshire and Somerset made good use of his leadership skills. He served the former first as a captain and then a coach and the latter as a valued member of the county committee after moving to Taunton, where he was destined to die on 27 October 1992. Cancer claimed the life of one of cricket’s brightest post-war stars at the age of 62. Just four months previously, he had been honoured by the Barbados Cricket Association during its celebration of 100 years of organised cricket in that island. 1945/46 At the Queen’s Park Oval in Port-of-Spain on 26 January 1946, Roy Marshall made his first-class début at the tender age of 15 years, 276 days. This remains a Barbadian record, having eclipsed the old mark set by Clyde Walcott who had first played for Barbados against Trinidad on his 16th birthday in 1942. Roy might not have been selected at all, but he was brought into the side when Worrell proved too ill to play. In a drawn match spoilt by the weather, he batted only once, scoring two singles before being dismissed by Wilfred Ferguson, then the leading right-arm leg-spinner in the Caribbean. He joined his elder brother, Norman, with the score at 273/6 and left after the addition of only 6 runs. Norman went on to topscore with 84 before Tom Peirce, the captain, declared the innings closed at 343/8. Andrew Ganteaume (112) and Kenny Trestrail (108) scored centuries for Trinidad who replied with 445. John Lucas then produced a fine 66 not out for the visitors to ensure a tame draw after the second innings had started disastrously (10/2). Own Team O M R W Opp Ct Total Total 1. Barbados v Trinidad, Port-of-Spain, January 26, 28, 29, 30 (Match drawn) c R.P.Tang Choon b W.F.Ferguson 2 343/8d 445 did not bat - 141/5 6