Vital `Marshall’ Patil, Bombay’s ace seam bowler of the mid 50s and a man respected and admired as coach of the famous Dadar Union Club and R. A. Podar college for many years, died here on Wednesday due to old-age related health issues. He was a bachelor and 86.
He opened the Bombay attack with Polly Umrigar and Ghulam Guard in the two Ranji Trophy matches he played against Maharashtra and Saurashtra in the mid-50s. Notable among his other teammates were Madhav Mantri, P.K. `Joe’ Kamat, Arvind Apte, Rusi Modi, Naren Tamhane and Ramnath Kenny.
``He’s the finest Mumbai seam bowler I have seen; with the new and semi-new ball. He was not a strict disciplinarian like Madhavrao Mantri was, but he expected cricketers to be punctual at nets and matches,’’ said another veteran Dadar Union cricketer and famous coach Vasu Paranjape. Patil was closely associated with the careers of Sunil Gavaskar, Ramnath Parkar, Dilip Vengsarkar, Ravi Shastri and Sanjay Manjrekar at the Dadar Union Club and Podar College. ‘
