By Dick Sturch

I was sad to hear that Gerald Marsh had recently passed away. Such sad new reminded me how lucky I have been to have played football or cricket with or against most such talented sportsmen.

None more so than the triumvirate of Axminster`s finest all-round sportsmen of my generation - Mike Marsh, Tony Rockett and Martin Leach. They were dominant forces in local cricket and football and I had the good fortune to play in some of the same teams they graced.

As youngsters we all went to Colyton Grammar School, although Tony was older than me and was already playing for the school`s 1st 1X football and cricket teams.

I well remember at morning assembly hearing his name mentioned countless times for the wickets he`d taken or runs he`d scored the previous day against our opponents. I wish it had provided the same motivation for my school work as it did for my determination to emulate him.

I never played cricket against him but I was always in awe of how he made everything look so easy. His natural timing with the bat gave the impression he put little effort into a stroke yet the ball sped to or cleared the boundary time and again.

He bowled, off a short, fluid eight-pace run up and with a flick of his wrist was consistently accurate, continually hitting a nagging length and making the ball lift uncomfortably for the opposing batsman.

With this same flick of the wrist his arrow-like returns from the outfield slammed into the wicketkeeper's gloves.

Tony played for Axminster Cricket Club in his early years then joined Kilmington. In 1982, his penultimate year at the club, Tony was still third in the batting and topped the bowling averages with 63 wickets at the cost of 10.62 runs each.

His final year saw him involved in fewer games but still a creditable third in the bowling averages. The Rockett name remained associated with Kilmington CC first through his son Keith and now his grandsons Alex, James and Matt make sure there are no gaps in the scorebook.

During and after his Kilmington years he was well known on most of the local golf courses where his inate timing and natural ability was again very apparent.

I did get the opportunity to play football against Tony in the school 'House' matches. He was a formidable half- back, compact, quick and with a very powerful shot. I believe he was chosen to play for the East Devon Youth team while he was at Colyton Grammar School and became a regular in the half-back line at Sector Lane for a successful Axminster Football Club.

Approach by several Football League clubs

During this time he was approached by several Football League clubs and I remember asking him many years later as we sat in the changing room at Bridport CC waiting for the rain to stop, why he never joined one of them?

"Dick", he said, "what was the point? I would have earnt £10 a week, travelled all over the country and had no job to go to when it was all over?"

Just a year ahead of me at school was Martin Leach, who apart from being a gifted pupil and athlete, was one of the most skilful footballers I have ever seen.

If I had to compare him with any player it would be George Best. He played with a silky smooth fluidity that gave the impression he was gliding across the grass with the ball tied to his boot. He`d ghost past defenders leaving them floundering in his wake and a bemused goalkeeper picking the ball out of the net.

In one memorable 1st X1 match against the adult personnel from the Air Sea Rescue Division based at Lyme Regis we won 9-2. Martin left them mesmerised and looking in disbelief as he scored all nine goals playing at inside-left while I remained a goalless centre-forward.

He attracted a lot of attention from League clubs and I believe he was on the books of either Bristol City or Rovers. He played for Devon at several levels and seemed to have an outstanding football career stretching before him.

I have lifted the following from a 1978 publication by the 'Old Colytonians' Association': "Soccer was at a high level during the later 1950s with a good deal of the success stemming from the prodigeous scoring ability of Martin Leach who in four seasons starting 1955-56 netted 34, 36, 25 and 51 goals."

Cricket came just as easy for Martin. Although he always fancied himself as a spin bowler, his batting, and especially his wicketkeeping agility were far superior and it was in the latter position he excelled throughout his playing career, both before and after the tragic road accident in which he was seriously injured and cruelly would never play football again.

The following extract is again taken from that 1978 publication. "Probably one of the best all-round athletes the school has produced in the last quarter of the century is Martin Leach. Involved in a serious motoring accident, it was feared he would never play any sport again, but he battled hard and overcame the fears enough to become a better than average wicketkeeper and batsman.

"He has written a book called 'How to Stand on Your Head'. Characteristically it is an instruction book on gymnastics. Martin has become a 'Three As judge as well."

Leachy could have played for England

We will never know just how good 'Leachy' would have been on the professional soccer field but I have no serious doubt that one day he could have played for his country he was that gifted.

While both Tony and Martin are no longer with us, the final member of the triumvirate, Mike Marsh, certainly is. A more determined, focussed, thinking cricketer it would be hard to find. During his early days at Grammar School his knowledge of the game came to the fore in an item he wrote for the school magazine.

I can't remember the title only the content when a humble village cricket X1 overcame the might of a visiting county side by a strict interpretation of the game's more complex rules.

Mike, who was an accomplished batsman and a wicked spin bowler, captained a very strong school 1st X1 with the likes of Martin Leach, Gerald Cook, Keith Ham, Bob Collier, yours truly and others who went on to play for local teams. He was always working out ways to defeat obdurate opponents with the batting or bowling he had at his disposal.

At times I found this a bit frustrating when, after my first five overs as an opening bowler he would say, 'Thanks Dick, take a rest.' Then replacing me he usually grabbed a wicket within a couple of balls.

His batting style was very much copybook straight bat. Whether defending or attacking his choice of strokes were meticulous. Straight drives, off or on drives, cuts all flowed off his bat but every ball he faced was treated with a measured caution.

His bowling was very much the same, one that spun, a straight ball, one slowly tossed up or one with a faster, lower trajectory all the time looking for the batsman`s weak spot. As I said Mike never stopped thinking whether as batsman, bowler or Captain.

He played cricket at Axminster. Selected to play for Devon and like Tony finished his playing days at Kilmington. He topped their batting averages in1982 & 83 (as he did for several seasons) with 1231 and 1360 runs respectively (including several centuries) averaging over 50 per game.

[H2Caught smoking behind the bike sheds[.H2]

Cricket was always Mike's first love but he also captained the School football team. He played for Axminster and later became a referee in the Devon & Exeter League. I will always remember and be grateful to him for an incident at school when he discovered me smoking in the bicycle shed. He should have reported me to the headmaster which may have resulted in my expulsion. Instead, he gave me a good dressing down a double detention and we've never spoken of it since.

Mike went from Colyton Grammar School to university and then began a teaching career which eventually brought him back to Colyton where, as a well respected master, he taught until he retired.

It is my priviledge to have known, played with or against and enjoyed the company of so many sportsmen both amateur and professional during my years but these three gentlemen will always remain in my memory for their outstanding abilities and friendship.