to play a part in this year's annual cricket classic.

CHARLIE MARSHALL: STILL FULL OF LIFE On February 24, 1993 cricket fans and those closest to Charles McDonald Marshall, Jr. held their breath. Thirty-one years young, Marshall was admitted to King Edward VII Memorial Hospital in the early hours of the morning and diagnosed as having suffered a "mild heart attack''.

It was hard to comprehend, for on Bermuda's cricket fields there were few athletic comparisons. Such is the excitement of his fielding that many overlooked the fact that he is a class batsman. He also fancies himself as a bowler.

Happily for those who love to see cricket played with a rich passion, a post-recovery trip to Johns Hopkins Medical Centre in Baltimore revealed that Marshall had suffered muscle spasms, not a heart attack. He was clear to return to action.

Back in the national team as early as May, ironically as cover for the injured Albert Steede who replaced him as Bermuda's captain in March, Marshall performed well against world one-day champions Pakistan. He made scores of 49 and 61 in two Bermuda losses and reestablished himself in plans for the ICC Trophy next February-March in Kenya.

Now he prepares for another Cup Match, 13 years after he became the first colt to score a century. And the way he did it was the stuff legends are made of - a six off the last ball of the match! That was just the beginning, for those who know Marshall accept that whenever he does something he does it in a big way.

How's this for a checklist: 1979 - Led Bermuda to first title in International Youth Tournament 1980 - Cup Match colt century 1986 - Suspended from all cricket for a year after verbally abusing an umpire during the ICC Trophy tournament in England 1987 - Starred in Cup Match after controversial selection 1989 - Suspended in first season as St. George's league player 1992 - Successful return to Bermuda team on England tour February, 1993 - Named Bermuda captain February 24, 1993 - Suffers "mild heart attack'', later diagnosed as chest muscle spasms May, 1993 - Excels upon return to Bermuda team Every year that Marshall plays Cup Match, Somerset are haunted by the what-ifs. As a 17-year-old he was on their books, then the next year he passed up the opportunity to play for the west-enders to represent Bermuda in the 1979 International Youth Tournament. Bermuda won the tournament, held in Canada, and Marshall gained the captaincy after the first choice was injured.

Upon his return, Marshall was courted by St. George's Cricket Club who were rebuilding after losing the cup for the first time in over two decades.

"I thought there were some good openings at St. George's and I was encouraged by my peers,'' says Marshall. Marshall's debut started inauspiciously as he was out for two in the first innings. But in the second, the capricious teenager dramatically stole the show.

"On the second day it was mentioned to me by (former Cup Match great) Clarence Parfitt that I could still break the colt record (75 by Somerset's Bergon Spencer). I just committed myself and put my mind to go out there and just bat.'' Just bat he did, and as fate would have it, Marshall needed six off the match's final ball from Robert Hinds. "My mind was made up to just go, eyes closed and swing the bat. Before he bowled I batted on off stump because I knew pulling through mid-wicket is one of my strongest shots, plus in St. George's it is the shortest boundary.

"So my mind was made up, wherever he bowls the ball I'm going to try to pull him to mid-wicket. He bowled the ball just outside off stump and I got it. It was the highlight of my life.'' If he were old enough, Marshall could have run for office such was his popularity. If nothing else, the colt century gained him exemption into the annual classic, provided he remained trouble-free. For Marshall that would prove to be immensely difficult. Much of his success in those early days was generated by a driving passion. That passion could be seen whenever he patrolled the covers in the customary white floppy hat. His fielding was unparallelled and in one Cup Match earned plaudits from well-known West Indian commentator Tony Cozier.

But he often failed to contain that passion and from 1986 his disciplinary record left much to be desired.

"I think I was basically getting too caught up in the game. I was taking the game too seriously. A lot of times the umpires used to make mistakes and I didn't accept the fact that they are human and mistakes are made. It used to get to me because my attitude as a young person was that umpires should be perfect; they shouldn't make a mistake at a cricket match.'' Marshall blew up while playing for Bermuda in the ICC Trophy Tournament in England as a 25-year-old. He disputed a decision, let the official know about it in no uncertain terms, and was disciplined upon his return to Bermuda.

He recalls: "That year I really wanted my country to do well. I was the last recognised batsman and Holland had Bermuda in trouble at five for thirty-something. The umpire gave me out caught behind and I knew very well it wasn't caught behind. From my point of view the ball came off my pad, the bat was so far away. I just got so angry.'' The Bermuda Cricket Board of Control deliberated for several weeks before serving a 12-month suspension, which started just before that year's Cup Match. Marshall's return to cricket the following year was amid much controversy because he picked Cup Match for his coming-out party. St. George's were roundly criticised for including him in the final trial match and then selecting him at the expense of many others who were playing from the season's start.

But Marshall scored a century to put the ball in the selectors' court. "That year of suspension I always kept myself in shape. I knew that my suspension would end a couple of weeks before Cup Match and I was determined to play that last Cup Match trial and do well.'' Having made the team, Marshall bluntly signalled his return by clouting Perry Maybury for a six off the first ball he faced in Cup Match. He went on to score 86, his best innings since his colt year.

Three years later, Marshall was forced to sit out his second Cup Match through a three month suspension. This time he was in his first season as a St.

George's league player and the incident occurred early in the season against Willow Cuts at Royal Naval field. Though the incident occurred at the start of the season, Marshall missed Cup Match because the case was not heard until several weeks later.

Marshall's standard of play dropped appreciably.

But his career was suddenly resurrected last year when he returned to Bailey's Bay. By then he had already worked his way back into the national programme for the first time in six years, and was actually first reserve when Bermuda played England `A' in February 1992.

Once the domestic season began runs came freely and he earned a place on the first Bermuda tour overseas since 1983 as the national team visited England to play six matches against county second teams. Marshall was the star of the show with three half-centuries while playing every match.

"I didn't even think about what happened in 1986,'' says Marshall of his return to England. "I just wanted to go there and help Bermuda do well. That year I was in great form and I just used that.'' Marshall continued to score well upon his return. He finished fifth in aggregate runs with 899 and that would serve him in good stead as the national squad resumed training in November for a planned training camp in Barbados the following March.

St. George's Cup Match captain and close friend Wendell Smith led the Bermuda team in England and was on course for his second overseas tour in charge before being ruled out by injury in February.

Marshall was named captain, which drew criticism from many who cited his disciplinary track record.

"It was a surprise to me to be named captain, to be honest, but not because of what happened in my younger years,'' Marshall says. "I just wanted to play and I was content with that. Unfortunately Wendell got sick so I guess I was the next person in line after having such a successful tour in 1992. I guess they just saw a little maturity in my performance in England.'' And of the acrimony that followed his appointment? "Bermudians have to understand that people do make mistakes. That didn't bother me when they wrote in or talked negative stuff about Charlie Marshall. They have to look in their own backyards and see if they're living a good life or if they have a relative who has made a mistake.'' So we had the new and improved Charlie Marshall, preparing to lead his country for the first time since 1979. Wendell Smith was expected to regain full fitness by April but suffered a setback when it was discovered he needed surgery and would be out until July. Then Marshall suffered his alarming setback.

"I was receiving some pains in my chest. I just took it for granted that it was indigestion. I would take a hot cup of tea and the pains would go away. I was doing a lot of training because I wanted to make the national team to travel to Barbados. I was running mornings, running nights, watching my diet and I was still getting pains. Sometimes I had to stop running because they were too painful.

"I decided to go to the doctor, and I wasn't a person to go to the doctor.

The last time I went was about three or four years ago. I felt that Charlie Marshall was fit and nothing should happen to people who work out and try to eat well.

"They found out that my cholesterol was very high, about 238 (107 higher than normal for his age). They asked me what I ate and I told them I was eating fried fish and a lot of shellfish. They told me to take a break from that until my cholesterol comes down, which I understood. So I actually changed my eating habits, got away from the greased fish and was boiling a lot of my food.'' Marshall was fine for two weeks. Bermuda were due to leave for Barbados on March 10, but 14 days earlier, Marshall found himself in KEMH's Intensive Care Unit.

"Earlier in the day I was doing a walkway in my yard with my father. I was feeling fine, no pains in my chest whatsoever. It was that night when I was at my in-laws in St. David's. I was eating my supper and I felt wind or gas in my chest. I thought it was indigestion because I was hungry and was racing down my food. I told my wife that this might be something else. I had a cup of tea and the pains still didn't go away. Later on that evening these pains became more intense and I said I needed to go to the hospital. My wife still thought it was indigestion so I called Wendell and he raced me over to the US Base hospital in St. David's.'' Being a captain you need to be able to think quickly in a crisis. Wendell Smith did just that, with the aid of a red light.

"We were going to King Edward hospital but at Number Two gate the light changed to red and I thank the Lord that they did change because in that split second it gave Wendell time to think that we had a hospital on the Base,'' Marshall said.

"After they gave me oxygen until the pains eased the doctor said thatmy friend did the right thing to bring me there because something serious could have happened to me. The people at the (King Edward) hospital felt I had suffered a mild heart attack and said they would keep me there seven to 10 days.'' Out of the question now was the trip to Barbados, but that was the most remote concern of the Marshall family.

"They weren't sure what was going on with me and I insisted I go away for a second opinion. Dr. (Shane) Marshall set it up for me to go to Johns Hopkins.

Dr. Marshall's main concern was to see if my arteries were clogged up and they weren't. They did other tests and found I had muscle spasms which come and go.'' That prognosis cleared Marshall to resume his cricketing career almost immediately.

"I just thank the Lord. I think he actually healed me before I went out to Johns Hopkins because when I got there the pains were gone. I guess the good Lord and the amount of praying that a lot of people did for me and the cards and flowers they sent me did a lot for me.'' Today, Marshall, who turned 32 in May, is wary of his health but not to the extent that it curbs his exuberance. He sometimes takes time to have a laugh about his "bad heart''.

"It was something that happened and it doesn't make sense for me to continue thinking about it. I thank the Lord it wasn't a heart attack and that I did decide to go away and get further treatment because if I didn't I wouldn't have been able to play cricket.'' "The hospital would have treated me as a heart attack victim and with that on a person's mind I would have been cautious about everything I did; I would have never been on a cricket field.

Marshall expects to be involved in cricket for at least three more years but he also loves fishing. "Fishing is so relaxing and peaceful and I think it could be my number one sport,'' he says, the day after catching an impressive wahoo.

But Cup Match still holds a special place in his heart. "This is one of the games in Bermuda. Everybody looks forward to Cup Match. I enjoy playing Cup Match because that's a game I know that you can prepare yourself to do well.

Sometimes it doesn't work that way but it's a great opportunity because you get the whole of Bermuda out.

"That's a game that you see the majority of Bermudians that love to watch cricket and you also want to do well for those who only come out for Cup Match. I always like to entertain them during Cup Match and I think a lot of other players want to do the same thing.'' Photos by Art Simons and Lawrence Trott Charlie Marshall has quickly returned to his flamboyant best on the field.

Keen angler Charlie Marshall has curbed his love of shellfish and fried seafood following his health scare earlier this year.

RG MAGAZINE JULY 1993