Not so long ago, Western Australian cricket fans would have been forgiven for cursing Shaun Marsh’s name.
But pure weight of runs has won back the critics – and it may be only a matter of time before Marsh has the same effect on national one-day selectors.
Especially if his golden run continues against the Bulls in their Sheffield Shield clash starting at the Gabba on Monday.
Marsh ticked all the right boxes to break back into the national Twenty20 squad against Sri Lanka recently.
However, the classy left-handed batsman appears to have bigger fish to fry judging by his astonishing personal best 155 not out in WA’s 110-run bonus-point one-day win over the Bulls at the Gabba on Saturday night.
Marsh has put himself in the box seat ahead of an expected exodus from the national ODI squad in the current five-match series against the West Indies ahead of Australia’s Test tour of India.
He sounded his intentions against the Bulls on Saturday in a record 229-run, third-wicket stand with WA captain Adam Voges, who made 112 off 116 balls.
And it seems the sky is the limit if he repeats his heroics in WA’s four-day clash with hosts Queensland from Monday.
“I am really happy for Shaun. From two months ago to where he is now is an amazing turnaround,” Voges said.
“He has worked bloody hard. I am really rapt for him.”
Dead-last WA (eight points) may not have much to play for in the first-class domestic competition in their clash with No.2 outfit Queensland (20pts), but the scenario could not be more different for Marsh.
The Warriors will hope he gave a sign of what is to come by stroking 12 fours and six sixes – including three straight off Alister McDermott – in Saturday’s one-dayer to register the highest knock at the Gabba, second-best by a WA batsman and ninth-biggest overall in domestic one-day history.
Not a bad effort for a bloke who started the summer playing Perth club cricket after his brother Mitch’s ill-fated birthday celebration ensured he returned from the Perth Scorchers’ Champions League campaign with his tail between his legs.