Photo Credit: Sydney Thunder
Young gun set to play against his hero Shaun Marsh for a second time when Thunder take on the Renegades at Metricon Stadium
In 2011, a cricket obsessed Ollie Davies sat in the loungeroom of his family’s beachside home on Sydney’s northern beaches, transfixed by the images on the television of Shaun Marsh making his Test debut against Sri Lanka.
Davies, who had already been acknowledged as a batsman with tremendous potential, was impressed by the way in which left-hander from Perth punished the Sri Lankan attack at Kandy. His innings of 141 not only made Marsh one of 19 Australians to score a ton on debut, but it made a lasting impression on the youngster who’d wildly applauded his new hero’s efforts.
Davies read all he could about the son of former Australian opener, Geoff, and brother of another future Test player, Mitch. He even managed to persuade his parents to buy him a Perth Scorchers shirt and cap so he could display his support for the batsman who lived on the other side of the continent. Davies wore that shirt proudly, and he faithfully stood by Marsh as he rode the highs and lows of international cricket.
“The first Test I ever watched was the one when he scored 141 on debut against Sri Lanka. I remember thinking he was a freak and he became my hero,” said Davies.
He wore his Scorchers gear when Marsh played in a one-day match at Drummoyne, but, as hard as he tried, Davies couldn’t muster enough confidence to ask his hero for an autograph.
“I was too nervous to go up to Shaun and ask for his autograph, so Mum went up and spoke to Justin Langer and asked if it was possible for Shaun to come and sign my hat,” recalled Davies with a smile. “He came over and signed my hat, took a photo, and had a chat.
“He was an absolute legend, and I was in awe of him… I had been for a little while. I posted the photo on Instagram and he commented on it saying, ‘great photo, mate’, and then he gave me a ‘follow’ on Instagram. I was over the moon.
I posted another photo and he asked: ‘how was everything?’ and we stayed in contact.
“I asked if I could buy one of his bats from him and he said that wasn’t necessary, he was happy to give me one. He gave me a bat, and over the years we stayed in touch, and next thing you know I played against him in the Big Bash…
“It’s pretty cool, I was a 12-year-old kid who loved a cricketer and he was amazing; my favourite cricketer commenting on my photos was incredible; awesome.
Tonight, Davies will play against his hero for a second time this season when Thunder take on the Melbourne Renegades at Metricon Stadium on the Gold Coast. However, it seemed Marsh – who was the role model for a 12-year-old boy with huge dreams of succeeding in cricket – was as equally thrilled by the progress of the fan who was too shy to say ‘hello’ all those years ago.
“I remember meeting Ollie that day with his family at Drummoyne Oval and we’ve kept in touch ever since,” Marsh said on the eve of the game. “I’ve followed his career closely and it’s great to see how far he’s come.
“To be able to play against him the other night [at Manuka] was a special moment for us both. He’s such an exciting young talent and I’m looking forward to watching his career unfold.”
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Name of Author: Sydney Thunder
The Sydney Thunder is an Australian professional cricket team competing in the Big Bash League (BBL). Based at Sydney Showground Stadium, the Thunder, along with the Sydney Sixers, succeeded the New South Wales Blues from the defunct KFC Twenty20 Big Bash.
