Australian batsman Shaun Marsh surely proved he is good to go for the Boxing Day Test with a star performance in Thursday's Big Bash League match at Docklands stadium.
Marsh top-scored for the Perth Scorchers with 99 not out as they won by eight wickets, scoring 2 for 192 from 19.2 overs in reply to the Melbourne Renegades' 3 for 188.
Marsh straight-hit Abdul Razzaq for six to end the game, with Luke Ronchi unbeaten on 8 at the other end.
Adding to a bad night for the Renegades, opener Aaron Finch was taken to Epworth Hospital after his innings with a suspected punctured lung.
Marsh was recalled to Australia's Test squad on Wednesday after struggling for several weeks with a back injury.
He was cleared to play in this match so he could confirm he was ready for a return to the Test team.
Australian selector Andy Bichel briefly spoke with Marsh in the Scorchers' rooms post-match.
Marsh's confidence was boosted when he fielded without incident and he felt no pain at the crease, facing 52 balls and hitting nine fours and five sixes.
"It was a nice little reward out there tonight - I'm just happy the boys had a good win," Marsh said.
"All I can do is prepare myself to play (on Boxing Day) and see what happens.
"I'm feeling great now - it was nice to get out there and spend some time in the middle."
There were some superb shots in Marsh's innings and the only issue now is he how pulls up from Thursday's game.
"I have no doubt I'm going to pull up well," he said.
"I've trained really hard to make sure I've ticked all the boxes and I'm really confident that will be right.
"I felt good. I've hit the ball well the last couple of days in the nets ... I felt like I haven't lost too much of my touch in the six weeks (out of the Test team)," Marsh said.
"Tonight was just an added bonus, I guess."
Marsh and Herschelle Gibbs had an opening stand of 95 and Marsh then combined with brother Mitchell (18) for a 61-run second-wicket stand.
Shaun Marsh gave one chance on 39 when he belted Shahid Afridi to Meyrick Buchanan at deep mid-wicket.
Buchanan dropped the chance and the ball was parried over his head for six.
Gibbs gave the Scorchers' innings a perfect start with 57 from 36 balls.
Finch was hospitalised after his innings of 49 from 40 balls.
He was on 22 when he was hit in the ribs attempting a pull shot from the bowling of Scorchers paceman Ben Edmondson.
Finch managed to resume his innings after a couple of minutes but went to hospital immediately after being dismissed.
Captain Andrew McDonald opened and top-scored with 50 from 33 balls as he and Finch put on 91 for the first wicket.
Glenn Maxwell belted 31 from 15 balls, including three consecutive sixes off Marcus North.
Left-arm spinner Brad Hogg was the pick of the bowlers with 1 for 22 from four overs and Michael Beer took 2 for 28.
A crowd of 13,265 attended the first cricket match at the ground since the 2005-06 season.
AAP
Tags: sport, cricket, twenty20, melbourne-3000, vic, australia, perth-6000, wa First posted December 22, 2011 22:25:35
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