Mitchell Marsh completes family hat-trick of Ashes centuries

Clubbing 29 fours in an unbeaten knock of 181, Mitchell Marsh combined with his captain Steve Smith (229 not out) in a 301-run partnership to give Australia a 146-run lead over England at stumps on day three of the third test.

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Perth: Under pressure, undervalued and ultimately underestimated, recalled all-rounder Mitchell Marsh scored his maiden test century at the WACA on Saturday to complete a rare family set of Ashes tons.

Clubbing 29 fours in an unbeaten knock of 181, the 26-year-old combined with his captain Steve Smith (229 not out) in a 301-run partnership to give Australia a 146-run lead over England at stumps on day three of the third test.

The home-town hundred was another entry for the Marsh family`s burgeoning scrapbook.

His older brother Shaun savoured his first Ashes ton at the Adelaide Oval, an unbeaten 126 that made him Man-of-the-Match.

Their father Geoff Marsh beamed with pride in the WACA crowd, having scored 138 at Nottingham as an opener in Allan Border`s victorious 1989 team.

"I`ll let dad know that I passed him," the younger Marsh told reporters, having surpassed his previous high score of 87.

Though powerfully built and boasting a thunderous drive, Marsh brought little else into the match barring Sheffield Shield runs and the faith of Australia`s selectors.

That faith had been dented over the course of 21 tests that yielded just two half-centuries, a paltry average of 21.74 with the bat and a modest 37.48 with the ball.

Under the microscope but desperate to perform in front of home fans, the WACA test began poorly for the 6ft-4in all-rounder as he dropped a straightforward catch in the slips to reprieve England opener Mark Stoneman on day one.

He then went wicketless during England`s innings and conceded nearly five runs an over as Australia`s fourth seamer.

Yet there were few signs of nerves as he combined with Smith in a swashbuckling stand that pushed England to the brink of conceding the urn with two matches to spare.

After raising his ton, he pumped his fist like a piston and wrapped up Smith in a bear-hug as home fans roared.

It was his privilege to see Smith in "the zone" at close proximity but tough, he observed, being on the wrong side of it.

"It`s not very nice, you come up with all these plans and nothing works."