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Rod Marsh's cap: A trusted pair of hands

Rod Marsh's cap: A trusted pair of hands

Wicketkeeper Rodney (Rod) Marsh debuted with the Australian in 1970/71 and retired in 1983/84. He began his cricket as a specialist batsman and, at one point, was nicknamed 'Iron Gloves' for his poor form behind the stumps; but he finished his career with a world record of 355 dismissals in 96 Tests. Marsh formed a particularly strong partnership with fast bowler Dennis Lillee, with the two becoming the most successful bowler fielder combination in Test cricket.

Marsh used these wicketkeeping gloves during the 1980 season. He saw the gloves not as an aid to catching, but rather as a way to protect his hands from the hard cricket ball. This was particularly important when Marsh was fielding for bowlers such as Lillee and Jeff Thomson and often, despite the gloves, his fingers had to be further reinforced with tape and strapping.

A colour photograph of a pair of black cricket wicketkeeping gloves. The left glove, at left in the photo, is arranged with its palm down. The back of the glove shows wear and tear from years of use. On the back of the hand section are two mesh panels for ventilation. The cuff of the glove has a kookaburra logo and the brand 'Kookaburra' on it. There is webbing between the index finger and thumb. The right glove, at right in the photo, is arranged with its palm up. It shows the thick padding in the fingers, thumb and palm. Like the left glove, there is webbing between the index finger and thumb. Wear and tear can be seen at the join between the index finger and thumb. The gloves have been photographed against a white background. They cast soft shadows against the background.



Left: In 1980, a pair of wicketkeeping gloves was a considerable investment. This pair, which belonged to Rod Marsh, shows considerable wear and repair. Photo: George Serras.

A daytime colour photograph of seven male cricketers on a cricket field. They all wear white cricket clothing. Four of them are to the right in the photo. Three of them are fielders while the fourth is a wicketkeeper. They all look up at what may be a cricket ball in the air. Two other cricketers are in the centre of the photo. One is a bowler and the other is a batsman. The bowler is running past the batsman, who has his back to the camera. He appears to have been dismissed and looks as though he is walking from the ground. The other cricketer in the photo is seen in the top right corner of the photo, running toward the in-field area. In the background is part of the crowd watching the match.



Left: Rod Marsh and Dennis Lillee were one of the most formidable combinations in Australian cricket. The dismissal 'caught Marsh bowled Lillee' was recorded 95 times in Tests. Courtesy: Adrian Murrell, Getty Images.


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