14 Interesting facts about Marshall Brothers

The Marshall Brothers – James and Hamish happen to be the first identical twins to play Test cricket ever. Both the brothers were versatile top order batsmen but had a very short international career. The Marshall brothers were selected solely on the basis of their potentials rather than their track record. Both batted right handed and were known for their sound technique. But, they couldn’t have a lengthy international career owing to inconsistency and lack of solid performances. Both brothers, however, were highly successful and respected names in first-class cricket. Here are some interesting facts about Marshall Brothers.

1. Born on:

James Andrew Hamilton Marshall and Hamish Andrew Hamilton Marshall were born on 15th February 1979, in Warkworth, Auckland.

2. Early years:

The Marshall Brothers played for New Zealand U19 team in the 1998 Under-19 Cricket World Cup. New Zealand reached the final of the tournament against England but eventually lost the match. The twins also were decent performers in the domestic level before progressing to the senior level on the basis of their potential.

3. Test debut:

Out of the two, Hamish was the first to enter the Test level at the age of just 21. Marshall made his debut for New Zealand in 2000 against South Africa at Johannesburg. He impressed many after scored a fighting 40 runs batting at no.7 while rest of the team bundle out cheaply. But New Zealand didn’t pick him for next three years. His brother James Marshall made his Test debut against Australia in the third Test of the Trans-Tasman trophy in 2005.

4. First pair of identical twins to play Test cricket:

The same Test was special for the pair as it made James and his brother Hamish became the second pair of twins after Mark and Steve Waugh to play Test cricket. It was also the first time when an identical pair of twins played Test cricket for their country.

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5. Short career:

The Marshall Brothers did not have a long career together or individually. James could only play in 7 Tests while Hamish featured in 13 Tests.

6. Rejects national contract:

After the 2007 Cricket World Cup, Hamish Marshall chose to reject the central contract with New Zealand in order to play for Gloucestershire. Due to his Irish passport, Marshall did not count as an overseas player so long as he does not play for New Zealand.

7. Irish stint:

In October 2010, it was announced that Hamish Marshall will tour India with the Ireland cricket team. By 2011, Marshall hoped to play for Ireland in the World Cup. He had an Irish passport which even allowed him to play for Ireland. The problem, however, was that if Marshall took up an England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) contract, his finances playing for Gloucestershire would be funded by the England board. This complication put the Ireland Cricket Association (ICA) members in a fix and he couldn’t represent Ireland at the international level.

8. Gloucestershire career:

Marshall arrived at Gloucestershire County Cricket Club in 2006 and has played every season since. In 2015, he was awarded a benefit season. which extended his contract with Gloucestershire till 2016.

9. Memorable individual performances by the Marshall Brothers:

James Marshall struggled to live up to his potential at the Test level and ended with only a half-century which came against Sri Lanka at Napier. However, Hamish Marshall also had a similar career but prospered with the bat a little in comparison to his brother, scoring two centuries and two half-centuries each. Hamish scored his first Test century in March 2005 against Australia with an innings of 146. He then scored 160 against Sri Lanka in April which happens to be his career best performance.

10. Inaugural T20I:

In 2005, Hamish was part of the first ever Twenty20 International (T20I) match played. Australia and New Zealand clashed at Auckland in a high-scoring encounter. His successful run in 2005 ensured that along with Daniel Vettori, Marshall became New Zealand Cricket’s Almanack Player of the Year as well.

11. World record stand:

On 1 July 2008, James Marshall scored his maiden ODI century and ended for 161 runs against Ireland. This was a special knock for him as he shared a 274 opening stand with Brendon McCullum, which is the highest ODI partnership for any wicket in Black Caps history and the second highest opening partnership in all ODIs.

12. ICL controversy:

Hamish Marshall played for the Royal Bengal Tigers in the Indian Cricket League until the ICL collapsed in mid-2009. In February 2009 during India’s tour of New Zealand in 2009, The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), withdrew Sachin Tendulkar and Dinesh Karthik’s participation in a T20 exhibition match between Australian Cricketers’ Association and New Zealand Cricket Players Association, because of Marshall’s involvement in the match. The BCCI cited the involvement of Marshall in one of the teams for not fielding its cricketers. This move created a lot of bad blood between the respective boards.

13. Overall career:

Hamish Marshall has played 66 ODIs for New Zealand and scored 1454 runs at an average of 27.43; in Tests, he made 652 runs at 38.35 in 13 Tests. James Marshall international career lasted only 7 Tests and 10 ODI.

14. Masters Champions League:

In 2016, the Masters Champions League was launched and Hamish played for the eventual champions Gemini Arabians in the T20 league which features retired cricketers.