Cricket-Match-Special ... A forum for discussion

Indeed sad to hear the news of Rod Marsh. He was a true great of Australian Cricket. A mighty competitor on the field who later contributed heavily in other ways in retirement - not least his work with the Cricket Academies in both Australia and England.

Australia has lost a couple of sporting legends lately.

RIP "Bacchus"...

he didn't make it. That's a damned shame RIP

Shane Warne. Bloody hell

yuppie wrote:Shane Warne. Bloody hell

Is it true? I'm hearing it's a Twitter spoof?

everybody's reporting it

suspected heart attack in Thailand

bloody hell. I hope it is a spoof

BBC have reported it and they usually wait until they are sure.

Christ. 52 is no age is it.

I can't give any higher praise than to say he was the most enjoyable sportsman of my lifetime to watch. At his very best, he was also the best player I have seen play cricket.

Thanks for the memories Shane...RIP

Bloody hell. I was trying to think of something to say about the legend that was Rod Marsh. I'm shocked to hear Shane Warne has died. He's the greatest Aussie cricketer of my lifetime. If a sportsperson can be a genius, Shane was. The Gatting Ball was like art. As an England supporter he ruined cricket for me for about 15 years and then curiously become the biggest winner the only time he lost, in 2005, when he was superhuman on the pitch (even though his shoulder was boll******) and self deprecating in defeat. Really stunned to hear this. A sporting hero.

Well, gee... what a lousy couple of days. I was still coming to terms with losing Rod Marsh, now Warney. I'm not really sure what to say. Two of my all time favourite moments in the game; when Rod Marsh broke his bat in an ODI against New Zealand in Sydney, and Warney's Ball of the Century. I did see more of Warne than Marsh. Warne was incredible. I remember the first time I saw him live at the MCG; he absolutely destroyed the West Indies and I remember thinking "we got a live one here." Both players made towering contributions to the game. It's a lousy week in the Land Down Under.

The biggest player in a generation of cricketers that ruled the game for Australia. Seems such a shock that he is gone so soon. When bowling you could never take your eyes off the game. One of the true greats who will leave a huge legacy for Australian cricket. With old iron gloves also departing this week Australian cricket has lost 2 true legends of the game.

52 is no age at all. I was there at the MCG for his hatrick only managing to get to my seat as Devon Malcolm was caught. From memory it was free admission as the game expected to end rather quickly. Warne made sure it did. I was also lucky enough to see him bowl a few times in England as well. Maybe something i can share with my kids when their older, in the same way my father used to tell me how his dad took him out of school in 1948 to see Bradman bat.

I saw him get his 700th wicket, but it didn't mean much to me, it was just another wicket in another defeat. He held the ball up, and we all stood up and clapped. We already knew he was an all time great. But he was central to the two most thrilling passages of live cricket I've seen; nearly knocking off the runs with Brett Lee at Edgbaston and running through the England batting at Trent Bridge, both in 05. When I say thrilling of course I mean unbearable.

So of course my favourite memories of Warne were when he lost... but he was a one man team at times in that series, and he gained stature in defeat. As an England fan it made the memories of 05 even greater because SW plainly felt he had been in something special. He didn't tarnish it with excuses and complaints.

the first game of cricket I ever took my grandson to was Durham v Hants. He was 6 and we went solely to see Warne play. After the match he signed the boy's bat and I think the lad slept with this bat in his bed for a week, he was so thrilled. Although he wouldn't sign stuff during the game, once he'd had his team meeting Warney came out and sat on the players steps for more than an hour signing anything people wanted, posing for photos, whatever people wanted and he did it with good humour. It struck me that as arguably the most famous cricketer in the world he probably did this every day that he walked out onto a cricket pitch.

A true sporting icon snatched away far too soon

Durhamfootman wrote:the first game of cricket I ever took my grandson to was Durham v Hants. He was 6 and we went solely to see Warne play. After the match he signed the boy's bat and I think the lad slept with this bat in his bed for a week, he was so thrilled. Although he wouldn't sign stuff during the game, once he'd had his team meeting Warney came out and sat on the players steps for more than an hour signing anything people wanted, posing for photos, whatever people wanted and he did it with good humour. It struck me that as arguably the most famous cricketer in the world he probably did this every day that he walked out onto a cricket pitch.

A true sporting icon snatched away far too soon

Great tribute. Awful neqa and just a day after Rod Marsh too. A sad time.

Durhamfootman wrote:the first game of cricket I ever took my grandson to was Durham v Hants. He was 6 and we went solely to see Warne play. After the match he signed the boy's bat and I think the lad slept with this bat in his bed for a week, he was so thrilled. Although he wouldn't sign stuff during the game, once he'd had his team meeting Warney came out and sat on the players steps for more than an hour signing anything people wanted, posing for photos, whatever people wanted and he did it with good humour. It struck me that as arguably the most famous cricketer in the world he probably did this every day that he walked out onto a cricket pitch.

A true sporting icon snatched away far too soon

the boy is 24 now and he still has the bat