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Marsh ready to fire Scorchers

Make no mistake about it – Mitch Marsh is the most important player in the Perth Scorchers team.

As Marsh declared that the Scorchers were dark horses for the Champions League title, he is ready to grasp the mantle as the team’s pivotal playmaker.

“I feel that I am in good form,” Marsh said before Perth’s opening match against the Dolphins today.

“I am ready to take the next step in my career and hopefully that starts in the next couple of weeks.”

Marsh, 22, is the leanest he has been since he broke into first-class ranks as an 18-year-old, his recent fireworks for Australia underline his strong batting form and he has been Perth’s sharpest bowler at training leading into the tournament.

“I haven’t had a speed gun on me for months,” Marsh said. “I will be interested to see what it gets up to. 140 (km/h) plus maybe?”

But Marsh’s role will involve more than zinging the ball into India’s fastest pitch, the hard surface at the Mohali ground outside Chandigarh.

Perth have good pace-bowling depth but their batting will require Marsh’s steel and long bombs at the top of the order.

“My job with the bat is to try to control the innings and then have the licence to take on the bowlers,” he said.

“Then with the ball I could be bowling one over a match or four or the first over of the innings or the last or anywhere in between.

“I have been practicing that. If I am called on in the first six or the last four I will be ready to go.

“I am really looking forward to bowling and batting at crucial periods in this tournament.”

Marsh will bat in a top order that includes explosive opener Craig Simmons, veteran Adam Voges and the classy Sam Whiteman.

Perth have a dilemma over their middle-order with a host of all-rounders vying for several places.

Team balance is likely to determine which players out of Ashton Turner, Ashton Agar and Hilton Cartwright get the nod.

Marsh has played once at Mohali – for IPL franchise Pune Warriors three years ago – but said he could not remember the match and didn’t think he had played any role in it.

His memory let him down though because scored two not out and then claimed two middle order wickets to help Pune beat home team Kings XI.

The ground was the scene of Australia’s remarkable World Cup semifinal victory in 1996 when the West Indies lost 8-37 to lose by five runs.

Likely teams – Perth: Craig Simmons, Sam Whiteman, Mitch Marsh, Adam Voges (capt), Ashton Turner, Ashton Agar, Yasir Arafat, Jason Behrendorff, Joel Paris, Michael Beer, Brad Hogg.

Dolphins: Morne van Wyk (capt), Cameron Delport, Cody Chetty, Daryn Smit, Jonathan Vandiar, Khaya Zondo, Vaughn van Jaarsveld, Robert Frylink, Kyle Abbott, Keshav Maheraz, Craig Alexander.