Wicketkeeper Kevin Wright came from the same club as Rodney Marsh, and his Test debut came because of Marsh's defection to World Series Cricket. Tidy and agile, Wright replaced John Maclean for the last two Tests of the disastrous 1978-79 Ashes series, retaining his place for two Tests against Pakistan which followed. He was in the Australian side for the 1979 World Cup, and in India that winter he enhanced his reputation with both gloves and the bat - he made a batting fifty at Delhi. But he returned home to find Marsh restored, not only in the Australian side but also the Western Australian one. He still made fairly regular appearances when Marsh was on international duty - in 1979-80 Wright scored 321 runs at 35.66 - but he slipped further out of the reckoning when Steve Rixon was picked as Australia's No. 2 for their 1981 England tour. He moved to South Australia in 1981-82, but again was supplanted, this time by Wayne Phillips, and retired shortly after his 30th birthday.
Martin Williamson