Hamish Marshall

There is a type of player who occasionally appears in cricket with a very average first-class record but who still manages to put in brilliant performances at the highest level. These players tend to be batsmen with limited technique but a great deal of grit and determination, and the level of grit and determination increases exponentially as the level of the opposition rises. Jeremy Coney (7872 first-class runs at 35.14, 2668 runs for New Zealand at 37.57) was one. Tony Greig (16660 first-class runs at 31.19, 3599 runs for England at 40.43) another. Andrew Jones (9180 first-class runs at 41.80, 2922 runs for New Zealand at 44.27) was a third. For Jones and Coney, their first-class figures improved only after they had established themselves at test level.

It is early days yet, but it looks like Hamish Marshall could be the latest in this movement. And currently he is the most extreme example (2146 first-class runs at 27.51, 212 runs for New Zealand at 212.00). Long may he, and all gritty and determined players, continue to shine.