by Satish Sekar © Satish Sekar (June 20^th 2010)[1]

Editor’s Note

The issue of racism in sport remains pertinent. We have covered this and other issues for several years. The story of Aboriginal cricket is important and still relevant especially with the 74^th Ashes series looming.

The Editor

Wasted Potential and English Hypocrisy

Jack Marsh should have played Test cricket for Australia. He was a bowler of rare talent. He could bowl fast, had mastered the slower delivery and even bowl googlies – a delivery mastered by his English contemporary, Bernard Bosanquet. A New South Walian umpire, William Curran, had tried and failed to drive Marsh out of the game, but was proved wrong in spectacular fashion with the aid of a splint (see The Record Breaker Part Three at https://empowersmag.com/empowersmagwp/2025/04/20/the-record-breaker-part-three/).

However, it didn’t stop Bob Crockett, cynically and maliciously calling him for throwing repeatedly. It destroyed Marsh’s career, even though the Aboriginal bowler had conclusively proved that he was no chucker previously.

Nevertheless, England’s then captain, Archibald (AC) MacLaren, used the incident to insist that Marsh was not allowed to play against his team at Bathurst in 1902[2].  And the race-fixing incident of 1895 was organised by Marsh’s unscrupulous agent who had pocketed Marsh’s earnings. It was a different sport and smacks of very poor sportsmanship. Either MacLaren knew about the splint proving Marsh was no chucker or he should have. Decades later the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) cancelled their tour of South Africa because of the D’Oliveira Affair – an attempt by the South African authorities to interfere with England’s selection of Basil D’Oliveira. The MCC and England rightly called off the tour, casting South African cricket into the cricketing wilderness where it belonged as there could be no normal sport in an abnormal society.

MacLaren, the MCC and England were hypocrites at best. Cricket, supposedly a gentleman’s sport, owed a duty of care to Aboriginal cricketers, especially Jack Marsh. Far from receiving that Marsh was victimised y his own country. It is difficult to conclude that racism did not play a part in his ordeal.

Grotesque Victimisation

This was simply not cricket. Marsh had already proved that he was not a chucker. Nevertheless, an Australian selector – a previous victim of Marsh – agreed and Marsh was dropped from his state side, which meant he had no chance of receiving the coveted green cap. However, despite Crockett’s behaviour there were calls for Marsh to be selected for Australia’s Test side.

New South Wales’ selector, Montague (Monty) Noble[3], refused to consider Marsh when he was in his prime and extended that to the state side. That was that. Marsh had no chance of playing for Australia if he could not play for his state and Noble – a misnomer if ever there was one – made sure Marsh would never have the chance. This from a batsman who scored a paltry one century in 42 Test Matches.

After Crockett’s match Marsh only played twice more for New South Wales. Noble saw to that by using the throwing controversy to justify his actions. Marsh was selected for the Bathurst match in 1902, but MacLaren refused to play against him and Noble ensured that the Australians caved in. Noble exploited the controversy further to ensure that Marsh was not selected for New South Wales and that destroyed his international chances once and for all. It also set Marsh on a path towards personal catastrophe and an untimely death.

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[1] This article was first published in the Magazine in 2009. We publish it again as the issues that it raises remain pertinent.

[2] Over half a century later the infamous D’Oliveira Affair had the English on the other side of the issue when South Africa’s Apartheid leader, John Vorster, refused to allow the Cape-coloured, South African born, Basil D’Oliveira to play for the MCC (Marylebone Cricket Club) on the scheduled 1968 tour. It resulted in the cancelation of the 1968 tour and South Africa’s isolation from cricket.

[3] Noble played 42 Test Matches for Australia. He was a talented all-rounder. During the 1902 tour of England, he hit 284 against Sussex in a then record sixth wicket partnership of 428 with Warwick Armstrong. He took 98 wickets on the tour – 59 three years later, although his batting remained of a high standard. He made 1416 runs in 1902 and 2084 in 1905. Noble captained Australia in three series – the last in 1909. Joe Darling was Australia’s captain on the 1902.

            Noble has been inducted into Australian Cricket’s Hall of Fame. He took 121 wickets and scored 1997 runs in Test Matches, averaging 30.25. He only scored one Test Match century, 133 on his début as captain. That was in December 1903 against England at the Sydney Cricket Ground. Nine Australians have achieved that feat. Among the others to core centuries on their début as captain was England’s skipper in 1902, Archibald (AC) MacLaren – scored 109 and 50 not out at the same ground against Australia in 1897. Both MacLaren and Noble played a role in preventing Marsh playing Test Cricket – racism may have played a part, but both objected to Marsh’s involvement in race-fixing and there were allegations of throwing too, but Marsh was far from the only bowler called for chucking at that time. It happened to CB Fry, among others too.