Marvelous Marco - The Quickest First-Class Triple Centurion & Fast-Rising Impact Specialist2/22/2020 by Abhai Sawkar It’s only been two seasons, but the Mzansi Super League has helped South African cricket unearth plenty of talent. It takes a few opportunities and nerves of steel to make it count, and such as been the story for the robust, clean-hitting middle-order batsman, Marco Marais. Marais was first recruited by the Nelson Mandela Bay Giants on the back of multiple strong seasons for the Border and Eastern Province domestic teams. The leap from provincial cricket to top-level franchise cricket in the MSL initially wasn’t the smoothest transition. Even though he found it tricky to score consistently in his first MSL gig, Marais received ample backing from the Giants, who decided to retain him for a second MSL prior to the draft. The extra support proved to be very instrumental - in fact, the stats speak for themselves: 149 runs, averaging 29, with an impressive strike rate of 160. Even though he had to be patient for a couple of games to finally enter the mix, it was definitely worth the wait. His burgeoning reputation as the specialist finisher and impact player was on full display during his very first innings of the recent MSL. While JJ Smuts laid the platform for a chase of 187, it was down to Marais to apply the finishing touches: a resolute 20-ball 40 did the job with ease. Another crucial innings, an unbeaten 38 from 22, helped ace another stiff chase, this time against the Tshwane Spartans. The Giants would finish in third place, after losing to the Tshwane Spartans in the Eliminator. It was a spirited effort, but there’s room for improvement. “Mzansi this year was great,” said Marais. “It was definitely a lot tougher than last year. It was a great experience, and I wouldn’t have changed a lot. We played good cricket, and next time I think we should get off to quicker starts.” For Marais, the love for the game has been strong since childhood. Originally hailing from the town of Worcester in Western Cape, Marais has played the vast majority of his domestic cricket in Eastern Cape. His rising potential as a free-wheeling big hitter has made him a staple in the shorter formats for the Port Elizabeth based Warriors franchise team since 2017. “Growing up, cricket has always been a passion, so I wouldn't say I had setbacks more like learning curves, but there hard lessons learnt at some stages, and things changed for me when I moved clubs from United CC to Bohemian CC in East London, and then of course the 300 record stands out but any contribution is great.” While he’s determined for higher honors, the current priority for Marais is to maintain consistency for the Warriors. The Momentum One Day Cup got underway earlier this month, and Marco knows that success for the team and himself goes hand in hand. Considering his unassuming, humble approach, an international call in the foreseeable would be fitting. Highly rated and frequently praised by coaches and teammates, it’s no secret that much more is expected of the popular Afrikaner. “For now I’m not too fussed about playing for South Africa. I believe we have really good players in the Proteas team right now, so I want to enjoy my franchise experience and do well for the Warriors for as long as I possibly can.” The cricketing experience for Marais has been divided across provincial and franchise cricket at home as well as club cricket over in the UK and Ireland, featuring as the overseas professional. Multiple successful seasons abroad with strong returns have further bolstered his confidence, and no doubt increased his propensity to adapt to various conditions. Once this season ends next month, Marais will be going to Ireland for more club cricket. “I've played in Devon in the UK for 2 years for Lewdown CC and I had a great experience there. I scored about 2300 runs in my 2 seasons there, and then I went to Ireland for 2 years, played for Fox Lodge CC, and I scored around 2500 runs for them. In addition, I also played in Hampshire for 1 year for Alton CC. Honestly I enjoyed the cricket - it was tough but some people in the club were not for me so I came home early. I’ll be heading back to Ireland this year - I signed for Clontarf CC in Dublin. The wickets are okay - I think some fields are really small and some wickets are not great, basically it just depends on where you play.” As of now, Marais is contracted to the Warriors for limited-overs cricket. He featured in both the Momentum One Day Cup as well as the CSA T20 Challenge last season. While the Warriors are playing first-class cricket, Marais plays 3-day cricket at provincial level for Eastern Province, who are leading the league table in their group, with three wins. He’s coming off a splendid, quickfire century against Free State and a half century against South Western Districts. “I think my season has gone great so far. I don't really play much 4 day cricket for the Warriors, so I play for Eastern Province. Right now I am averaging around 55 with the bat so I’m really happy with that. I have just begun to play in the Momentum One Day Cup with the Warriors and it’s been a slow start so far, but I’m confident it will pick up towards the end and hopefully we can try our best and get into the final.” With the One Day Cup continuing into mid-March, the goals are pretty straightforward - keep piling on the runs. Marais might have had a bit of a lean start to the tournament, but there are at least another five games to create a splash. On the other hand, T20 has been more of a natural format. To date, an undoubted highlight in Marais’ T20 career came about very recently in the 2019 CSA T20 Challenge. Frequent rainfall forced the event to be shortened, but that certainly did not affect Marais’ performance. He amassed 209 runs, striking just under a rate of 170. Another highlight came at home against the Highveld Lions where Marais blitzed a barnstorming 82 not out from 33 balls, stroking 5 fours and 8 sixes. In exhibition style, the innings was characterized by a wide array of strokes delivered through aggressive strokeplay, especially on the off side. The match might’ve rained out, but nothing deterred the tenacious 26-year-old from posting another breathtaking performance . In the very next game, Marais hammered a belligerent 75 from 36 balls against the Cobras. He superbly transformed the tempo of the innings even when his side was reeling at 42 for 4. All of the 3 above mentioned knocks bore witness of undoubted brilliance, immense potential, and attacking intent. The Warriors may have finished as runners-up to the Lions, but there were plenty of positive takeaways for both Marais and the team. “The plan for the year is to just keep contributing towards the team in every way possible. My fondest memories are in the Ram Slam T20 Challenge last year where I got 80-odd quickly and then followed that up with a 70 not out.” When it comes to inspirations, it’s to no surprise that Marais looks up to South Africa’s greatest allrounder - determination, humility, maturity, patience, perseverance, and fervor are all key qualities that are evident. In addition, Marais’ father is also a former cricketer who played in the first-class arena in the early ‘90s. At 26, he’s at the point where he’ll be playing some of his best quality cricket, and we’re likely to see more and more of him in the franchise scene. His development and adjustment to the professional arena has been a remarkable journey thus far, and even better times are ahead. “My cricketing idol has always been Jacques Kallis. I grew up watching my dad play as well, so the passion has always been there from a young age, and all my family members and fiancee keep me motivated.” But let’s save the best part for the end. In November 2017, even before he arrived at the franchise scene for both the Warriors and the Nelson Mandela Bay Giants, he created ripples in 3-day cricket when he blitzed his way to the fastest ever triple century - 300 from 191 balls (35 fours, 13 sixes). The even more mind-boggling statistic is the fact that he eclipsed a record that was standing firmly for close to a century. That’s right. Oh, and it took around a session and a half to reach the pinnacle. The jubilation was real when he took the single to complete his triple ton, and he couldn’t believe what he’d achieved at the time. “Yeah, it’s a world record, but honestly I don’t think about it much,” said Marais. “People don't really believe it at first and even I also can't. The other day someone told me it's only gonna sink in once I retire from the game, but I’m very blessed to have such a unique accolade next to my name.” This distinctive feat definitely puts him in the folklore of South African domestic cricket as well as first-class cricket. In fact, it’s safe to say that innings catapulted him onto the franchise scene. Marais has made a name for himself as the X-factor player, and encouraging performances in the recent past have put him on course to be selected for the Proteas. The renowned Albert Einstein once said, “in the middle of difficulty lies opportunity”. During these relatively tougher times, the improvement, flourishing, and the constant drive for excellence among youngsters like Marais are a testament to the unflappable fighting spirit in South African cricket.
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