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Fear Had A Name In Headingley When Malcolm Marshall Struck Terror With One Hand

Soumyajit Dutta

Malcolm Marshall  batting with one hand [Source: @amitpadda/X.com]Malcolm Marshall  batting with one hand [Source: @amitpadda/X.com]

As England’s Chris Woakes walked out one-handed at The Oval on Monday, August 4 to face the Indian pace attack, batting with an injured shoulder in a desperate 11th-wicket stand against India, cricket fans were reminded of one of the game’s most legendary acts of defiance, which was Malcolm Marshall’s one-handed resistance at Headingley in 1984.

The parallels are uncanny, a fast bowler, injured yet unyielding, stepping up when his team needed him most. But where Woakes fought in a helpless act to salvage a Test, Marshall’s story was laced with psychological warfare, raw courage, and a touch of West Indian swagger that shattered England’s morale.

The Broken Thumb Of Marshall That Didn’t Break His Will

During the 1984 Headingley Test, Marshall, then the most feared fast bowler in the world, suffered a double fracture to his left thumb while fielding. Doctors ruled him out of cricket for ten days. England, already trailing 2-0 in the series, breathed a sigh of relief, until Marshall strode out to bat one-handed, his left arm encased in plaster.

Larry Gomes was on 96, and the West Indies were nine down. Marshall, unable to grip the bat properly, survived long enough for Gomes to reach his century, and even slapped a boundary with a one-handed inside-out forehand.

But the real mind games came later. As England prepared to bat, reassured that Marshall wouldn’t bowl, the West Indies team staged a calculated intimidation tactic. They conducted their warm-up drills directly in front of the England dressing room, with Malcolm Marshall, cast and all, among them.

Marshall Terror Returns With The Ball

England’s relief turned to horror when Marshall, ignoring protests about his “distracting” white cast (which he later covered with tape), took the ball. 

That evening, he ripped through England’s top order with three wickets. The next day, he adapted to swinging conditions, finishing with 7 for 53 as England collapsed for 159. West Indies won with ease.

As Woakes battled through pain at The Oval without facing any delivery but by scalping singles with Gus Atkinson, his effort stands out. But Marshall’s one-handed saga remains the ultimate tale of a fast bowler’s defiance, where injury became just another weapon in his arsenal.