Caught Lillee Bowled Marsh

Marsh bowls,

Lillee keeps.

I’m caught behind,

attempting to sweep.

Gone for a quacker

at the WACA

of all places.

Dismissed by a clown

who sends em down

off just a few paces.

It sounds silly

but it’s harsh

to be caught Lillee

bowled Marsh,

but that’s what happened to me

the over prior to tea.

 

 

About Damian Balassone

Damian Balassone is a failed half-forward flanker who writes poetry. He is the author of 'Strange Game in a Strange Land'.

Comments

  1. Luke Reynolds says

    Great stuff Damian. Love the photo.

    Dennis with the keeping gloves on and Marsh bowling would have been the ultimate fantasy of all opposition batsmen in the ’70s!

  2. If TISM were to make a comeback I think this would be a great follow up to Lillee Caught Dilley Bowled Milli Vanilli !

    Love your work.

  3. This poem explains why The Lillee Marsh Stand at the WACA is so-called. I’ve (and I suspect many others) always thought it should have been called The Marsh Lillee Stand, as in c Marsh b Lillee. (Unless they were talking about a batting partnership, a tenth-wicket stand….)

    But maybe the powers that be who named the stand all those years ago, 1988, knew something of the poetry of one Damian Balassone.

  4. Phillip Dimitriadis says

    Nice twist Damo. Wouldn’t want to be the batsman having to endure the ribbing for the rest of my days. The over prior to tea often seems to produce a wicket in every level of cricket.

  5. Just looking at the records Marsh bowled 12 overs in test cricket (0/54) – over in Pakistan I think, when the whole team had a bowl.

    In first class cricket he did actually capture a wicket with best bowling figures of 1/0! Was it at the WACA? Did Lillee catch it? I’d like to think so.

  6. Cheers all. That’s an interesting observation re the name of the stand Vin – maybe subliminally I picked this up I heard somewhere that Rod Marsh once took 3 wickets in 4 balls in a Country cricket game. Must be urban myth.

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