Waldemar Frederick Eric Marx (4 July 1895 – 2 June 1974) was a South African

cricket Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of eleven players on a field at the centre of which is a pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two bails balanced on three stumps. The batting side scores runs by striki ...

er who played in three

Tests Test(s), testing, or TEST may refer to: * Test (assessment), an educational assessment intended to measure the respondents' knowledge or other abilities Arts and entertainment * ''Test'' (2013 film), an American film * ''Test'' (2014 film), ...

in 1921.

Life and career

Marx was born in Johannesburg and educated at

Malvern College Malvern College is an Independent school (United Kingdom), independent coeducational day and boarding school in Malvern, Worcestershire, Malvern, Worcestershire, England. It is a public school (United Kingdom), public school in the British sen ...

in England. He created a world record that stood for 73 years when he scored 240 on his first-class debut, for Transvaal against Griqualand West at Johannesburg in December 1920. Opening the batting, he hit 39 fours and a six, and took only 225 minutes. By the end of the first day, 16 December, Transvaal had dismissed Griqualand West for 141 after declaring at 457 for 9: 598 runs for 19 wickets off 121.3 six-ball overs in a day's play. In the next three matches he opened both batting and bowling, hitting another century against Orange Free State (on an opening day that yielded 645 runs for 16 wickets) and taking 7 wickets at 25.42. When the Australians toured in October and November 1921, Marx made 65 (the top score) against them for Transvaal, batting at number six, and was picked for the three Tests. Batting in the middle order and opening the bowling, he was only moderately successful, his best match being the Second Test, in which he made 36 and 34 and took three wickets. Marx played one more match for Transvaal in December 1921. His first-class cricket career, which lasted just over 12 months, ended when he went to work on the mines of the East Rand and the mine manager refused to give him time off to play first-class cricket.Denys Heesom
"Forgotten? W.F.E. Marx Rediscovered"
''Cricketer'', November 1974, p. 33. Heesom, who met Marx, referred to him as Wally, not Eric.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Marx, Eric 1895 births 1974 deaths People educated at Malvern College South Africa Test cricketers South African cricketers Gauteng cricketers Cricketers from Johannesburg South African expatriates in England Cricketers who have scored double centuries on first-class cricket debut