Australia’s Mitchell Marsh said Thursday there were times he thought “he might not get back” after he ended a four-year absence from the Test arena with a scintillating Ashes hundred.
Marsh’s run-a-ball 118 was the centrepiece of Australia’s 263 on the opening day of the third Test at Headingley and the all-rounder then dismissed Zak Crawley as England threatened to rebuild after losing two early wickets.
The 31-year-old Marsh is in Australia’s tour squad as cover for Cameron Green, ruled out of this match with a hamstring strain.
“On a long tour you always get a chance at some stage, I just wanted to stay ready,” Marsh told reporters after stumps. “It was a bit of a surprise and very unfortunate for Greeny.”
Marsh joked that, due to his understudy role, he was the “first man to score an Ashes hundred on a UK holiday”.
Marsh’s family are on a holiday of their own, travelling to Bali to celebrate brother Shaun’s 40th birthday – but they certainly enjoyed watching him bang 17 fours and four sixes in his rapid century.
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He added: “There’s always times when you spend a bit of time away from the game where you think you might not get back.
“It’s taken a lot of hard work, I chose to have ankle surgery and miss last summer to get on this tour knowing I was going to be Greeny’s understudy. I’m really proud to get back.”
When asked how he maintained his morale while out of the Australia team, Marsh pointed to his Baggy Green cap and said: “I wanted to wear it one more time.”
Australia’s second-highest score was Travis Head’s 39, highlighting the importance of Marsh’s century in an innings where England fast bowler Mark Wood ripped through the batting line-up.
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Marsh credited his upbringing on the hard wickets of Western Australia for coming out on top against express quick Wood.
Marsh said he “could lean on my experience of growing up at the WACA (the Western Australia Cricket Association ground in Perth) against fast bowling, sink or swim from a very early age.”
But he wouldn’t be drawn on his chances of playing the next Test in Manchester, joking: “I wouldn’t mind going back to my UK holiday to be honest.”
England closed on 68-3, with Marsh saying the game was “pretty evenly poised”.