A medium-paced left-armer, Dennis Marriott's career can be divided into two parts on either side of the Thames. He started at Surrey where he showed promise in 1966 and 1967 when he was in and out of the first team, but he was handicapped by his poor fielding and batting. In 1972 he turned up at Lord's where Mike Brearley, his captain, described him as: "A talented and delightful part-time bowler who bowled somewhat in the Derek Underwood mould. He did a good job for us for a while, but however hard he tried - which was very hard - his fielding was never anything but a liability and his batting was not much better. He had, Mike Smith used to say, electrified hands, hands that worked like magnets in reverse whenever in proximity to the ball."

He struggled in the Championship but became a solid one-day player and in 1973 in 20 matches took 35 wickets at 16.14, including four five-wicket hauls, the best being 5 for 13 against Gloucestershire in the John Player League. His form fell away markedly in 1974 and he soon lost his place.
Martin Williamson