New Delhi:
Mitchell Marsh injured his bowling arm in bizarre circumstances during the Sheffield Shield encounter between Western Australia and Tasmania at the WACA ground in Perth on Monday. Tasmania had taken a 60-run lead thanks to skipper Tim Paine's century and in the second innings, Marsh was batting well on 53 but he was caught and bowled by Jackson Bird. As he entered the dressing room, he punched the wall in anger and injured his bowling arm. There are reports that he might have fractured his arm. A statement from Western Australia said they were yet to determine the full extent of the injury. "Western Australian captain Mitch Marsh injured his hand during (Sunday's) Sheffield Shield match against Tasmania at the WACA ground. Marsh sustained the injury when he struck the wall in the changerooms following his dismissal earlier in the day. The extent of the injury and a time frame on his return will be determined later this week after further investigation," the statement read.
Marsh's injury was similar to how Ben Stokes injured his arm in 2014 during England's tour of West Indies. In the third Twenty20 International against West Indies, Stokes was dismissed for a first ball duck by Krishmar Santokie. After the dismissal, he punched the locker in the dressing room and that resulted in a broken wrist which forced him to miss the 2014 World T20 in Bangladesh.
The junior Marsh had come back into contention in the Australian cricket team after he picked up a five-wicket haul in the fifth and final Test of the Ashes series against England at The Oval. His solid performances could have potentially kept him in the reckoning for the team ahead of the Test series against Pakistan which begins on November 21. Western Australia now face Victoria in their next match and Marsh will be hoping he regains fitness.
In the same match, Australia skipper Tim Paine scored his second First Class century but it was his first after a gap of 13 years. Western Australia chose to bat and it took Marcus Stoinis' 61 to help Western Australia reach 337 after Jackson Bird, Lawrence Neil-Smith and Riley Meredith took three wickets apiece. Tasmania notched up a 60-run lead thanks to Paine's 121 and he shared partnerships of 80 with Caleb Jewell (52) and 111 for the ninth wicket with Neil-Smith.
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In the second innings, Shaun Marsh scored 85 and he was assisted by his brother and another fifty from Stoinis before Ashton Agar struck 76 to hold off Bird's haul of 5/78.
