Australian cricket’s forgotten man, Mitchell Marsh, reappears just when we Leeds him

Australia's Mitchell Marsh celebrates with Australia's Travis Head after reaching his century on day one of the third Ashes Test match at Headingley. Picture: AFP

Since traditional seasons dissolved into the stop-start-stop of cricket modernity, it has become possible for players seemingly to vanish – warming benches, receiving treatments, travelling as supernumeraries in baggy squads. The concomitant of this waiting is readiness. Cricket can come like buses: none for ages, then in non-stop succession.

Viz Mitchell Marsh and Mark Wood, stood waiting this summer, thrust in without delay yesterday, and wasting no time impressing themselves on a fast-moving first day of this Third Test. After all the apprehension about the Australians’ welcome, reflected in the phosphorescent outcrops of additional security, the crowd was proper cricket: noisy, supportive, good-humoured, and better behaved than Marylebone members.

Since he last played a Test four years ago, Mitchell Marsh has made four first-class appearances. There have been more sightings of Lord Lucan.

Oh, he has appeared in various white ball excrescences. More often, thanks to injury, rest periods, schedule lulls and lately the primacy of his fellow West Australian Cameron Green, Marsh has maintained a sunken profile: two days ago, Cricket Australia withdrew him from The Hundred, to the bemusement of those unaware he had been to appear.

\Mitchell Marsh smashes a six on day one of the Third Ashes Test at Headingley. Picture: Getty Images

At Edgbaston, Marsh was observed sedulously measuring his run, touching off a press box panic about him playing. What a kidder. Such is Green’s gilt-edged status, nobody expected Marsh to feature in the Ashes, except maybe Marsh, who has burned off ample surplus energy in the nets and around the grounds: he is the readiest Aussie for a smile, a selfie, an autograph, a chat.

Marsh looked so ripe in his third Test century yesterday, however, that his might almost have been a form pick rather than an injury substitution.

The towering 31-year-old is not one of those batters you turn to for effortless timing and touch. A glance at the shoulders and forearms and the power source is obvious. At times his has seemed a rather immobile and unfocused power; what stood out yesterday was the crisp decisiveness of his footwork rather than the habitual vehemence of his bat swing.

The pitch’s pace and carry coaxed bowlers to fuller lengths, offering opportunities to drive; when they overcorrected, Marsh’s pull deposited Woakes and Wood in the Western Terrace. There was no waiting in the 90s either, bridged with consecutive straight sixes from Moeen Ali and a hurried single, although his best shot was an on-drive off Woakes – degree of difficulty high, execution perfect.

So precious is Wood’s gift of pace, meanwhile, that England have been loath to spend it frivolously. It’s as though he has already been budgeted his lifespan’s deliveries, and they are not to be squandered on, for example, the mundanity of county cricket, of which he has played three games in the past five years. But you can see why. Two spells yesterday changed the summer’s dynamic, that Bazball so far has been Bazbat rather than Bazbowl.

By the first spell, even the easeful Khawaja was hastened; Labuschagne, who has favoured batting forward of his crease against England’s seamers this summer, shrank back inside, and stood taller, wrists cocked, as if in an iron maiden of defence.

It's full and straight and far too quick for Usman Khawaja 🌪️

Australia are 2 down and Mark Wood is on fire! 🔥 #EnglandCricket | #Ashespic.twitter.com/y5MAB1rWxd

— England Cricket (@englandcricket) July 6, 2023

There were oohs and aahs as Wood’s speeds were carded, eventually revealing a full house of deliveries in the mid-90s. A couple of times, the ball passed Labuschagne’s outside edge and he held his shape as though to dramatise the discrepant nature of the bowler’s pace – the game seemed to be happening at two speeds.

For some reason, Wood always puts me in mind of that Georgian prize-fighter Hen Pearce – Pearce’s flavoursome nickname ‘The Game Chicken’ would work with Wood’s bantam physique and perky character, the way he bounces to his feet after occasionally falling in his follow-through.

Now the Game Chicken bowled Khawaja through an airy drive, with a delivery that took such a gash from the ball it needed replacing. Although did Wood need replacing with figures of 4-3-2-1? In succession, Ollie Robinson’s marshmallow bouncers looked even softer than usual. And should Wood have bowled as few as half a dozen of the first 34 overs of Australia’s innings?

On returning in the afternoon Wood could not summon quite the same propulsion: Marsh pulled him for six dismissively, smashed him straight and through the covers, as his partnership with a subdued Travis Head swelled to 158 in 168 balls.

So fast, Pat Cummins didn't even play a shot 🌪️

How good is Mark Wood? 🤯 #EnglandCricket | #Ashespic.twitter.com/TSbeWSotfY

— England Cricket (@englandcricket) July 6, 2023

After Marsh’s dismissal on the stroke of tea, however, Wood dissolved Australia’s tail like battery acid, bowling Starc with a trimmer that swung back to hit top of middle, trapping Cummins with a ball that would have hit middle of middle, forcing a flail from Carey and a shank from Murphy. How useful that extra turn of speed would have been at Edgbaston.

In fact, England will regard their dismissing Australia for 263 as a good day’s work up to the point they recall that they might have dismissed them for 163. Head (9) was dropped at the wicket: we’re at the point where Bairstow’s wicketkeeping is a breach of the spirit of cricket.

England players react as Australia’s Steven Smith (centre) edges past wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow. Picture: AFP

Marsh (12) was dropped at first slip by Root: as of last night, England’s series record is fifteen drops and a flubbed stumping, which is probably the fault of those uncouth colonials for hitting the ball too hard.

Australia also just shaded the day when Marsh, in his second over, induced a characteristic poke from Zak Crawley, who had to that stage played regally: not even Marsh hit anything as hard as Crawley’s shot on the rise through mid-wicket off Cummins, which bounced back 15m from the fence. Bairstow was then beaten by his third delivery and immediately went wandering down the pitch, only to pull himself up and pedantically drop his bat in the crease. Oh, Jonny be good. No boundary was scored in a tense last ten overs, but otherwise there has been no waiting, no delay in this Third Test. With 331 runs in a day for thirteen wickets, it is surging.