Marsh a cricket great on and off the field

At the peak of his powers, Rod Marsh was the best wicketkeeper in the world.

He was also a more-than-handy batter, a villain, a rebel, irreverent, insubordinate - and loved and admired as one half of an Australian cricket partnership of uncanny proportions.

Marsh, who died Friday aged 74, was also a coach, mentor and administrator who guided the game's youth through national and international cricket academies.

Born in Armadale, Western Australia, on November 4, 1947, Rodney William Marsh had his introduction to cricket in the backyard of his family home, along with his elder brother, Graham, who went on to become a successful professional golfer.

The Marsh brothers represented their state in cricket at schoolboy level before pursuing their chosen sports. By the age of eight he was playing competitively with the Armadale under-16 side.

"I kept wicket right from the start, but batting was my main strength," he recalled.

The balance between batting and keeping wicket eventually tipped in favour of the latter, although it was probably the former that ensured his selection in the Australian team for the first Test of the 1970-71 series against England at the Gabba.

His Sheffield Shield form for WA had put Marsh in contention for the wicketkeeper's job after the retirement of Brian Taber, although Queensland's John McLean also had selection claims.

Marsh got the job because he was considered the better batsman and quickly rewarded the selectors' faith with an innings of 44 in the drawn second Test and an unbeaten 92 in the fifth.

Australia's new keeper also justified his place behind the stumps holding 10 catches and making three stumpings for the series.

But it was a routine entry in the scorebook of the seventh, and final,