Famous Cricketers No 55 - Arthur Milton

133. Gloucestershire v Nottinghamshire, Trent Bridge, July 29, 30, 31 (Nottinghamshire won by seven wickets) b A.Jepson 100 301 186 c and b B.Dooland 12 141 259-3 134. Gloucestershire v Somerset, Bristol, August 1, 3, 4 (Gloucestershire won by 218 runs) c H.W.Stephenson b J.Lawrence 15 221 168 1 run out 0 242-4d 77 135. Gloucestershire v Northamptonshire, Rushden, August 5, 6, 7 (Gloucestershire won by 79 runs) b V.Broderick 85 269 163 2 lbw b V.Broderick 15 190 217 136. Gloucestershire v Sussex, College Ground, Cheltenham, August 8, 10, 11 (Match drawn) lbw b R.G.Marlar 15 385-7d 209 1 lbw b D.J.Wood 1 154-9 344 1 137. Gloucestershire v Worcestershire, College Ground, Cheltenham, August 12, 13, 14 (Match drawn) c G.Dews b G.H.Chesterton 73 321-9d 140 3 b R.T.D.Perks 1 44-5 259 2 138. Gloucestershire v Lancashire, College Ground, Cheltenham, August 15, 17 (Lancashire won by an innings and 19 runs) lbw b R.Berry 29 154 222 1 b J.B.Statham 5 49 139. Gloucestershire v Middlesex, Lord’s, August 19, 20, 21 (Gloucestershire won by an innings and 82 runs) b F.J.Titmus 8 344-9d 143 4 119 2 SEASON’S AVERAGES Batting and Fielding M I NO Runs HS Ave 100 50 Ct Championship 19 35 5 1077 117* 35.90 2 7 30 Other Glos matches 3 6 1 167 119 33.40 1 - 6 Season 22 41 6 1244 119 35.54 3 7 36 Career 139 235 40 6595 146* 33.82 8 37 158 Bowling O M R W BB Ave 5i Championship 25.2 8 54 1 1/23 54.00 - Other Glos matches 14 7 39 1 1/12 39.00 - Season 39.2 15 93 2 1/12 46.50 - Career 1021.4 257 2562 56 5/64 45.75 1 1954 Milton started 1954 in indifferent form. Selected to play for M.C.C. against Surrey at Lord’s in early May, he was dismissed twice by Jim Laker for 2 and 0. His first sixteen innings for Gloucestershire brought him only one fifty. Then, on June 19th, at Bristol he hit 142 against Oxford University and from there never looked back scoring four more centuries, three of them in consecutive matches, against Nottinghamshire, Northamptonshire and Surrey. The 111 he scored against Nottinghamshire at Bristol, facing Bruce Dooland on a turning wicket, was described by the county Yearbook as his finest innings to date. His liking for a crisis was again apparent against Surrey. Facing a total of 347-8d, Gloucestershire were 43-3 before Milton and Emmett rescued the innings with a stand of 170. Equally meritorious was his double of 76 and 41 against Surrey at Cheltenham, out of totals of 153 and 112, easily top score in both innings. He bowled only 63 overs, taking one wicket but his fielding was as brilliant as ever. He took, in all, 44 catches during the season including five in one innings against the Pakistan touring team at Cheltenham. Altogether he played in 24 Championship games, as well as taking part in home and away matches with Oxford University and the tourist game with the Pakistanis. He scored in all matches, 1,535 runs at an average of 36.54. He now had over 8,000 runs and more than 200 catches to his credit. 17