Famous Cricketers No 55 - Arthur Milton

SEASON’S AVERAGES Batting and Fielding M I NO Runs HS Ave 100 50 Ct Championship 26 51 2 1495 150 30.51 2 8 34 Other Glos matches 4 7 0 244 58 34.85 - 2 10 Other matches 3 6 0 82 26 13.66 - - 2 Season 33 64 2 1821 150 29.37 2 10 46 Career 200 344 45 9951 163 33.28 15 51 248 Bowling O M R W BB Ave 5i Championship 42.3 10 128 2 1/1 64.00 - Other Glos matches 17 2 62 1 1/15 62.00 - Season 59.3 12 190 3 1/1 63.33 - Career 1144.1 280 2922 60 5/64 48.70 1 1956 Milton must have been in the England selectors’ minds in 1956 as he was chosen to represent M.C.C. against the Australians at Lord’s, a fixture often used to assess likely candidates for the Test team. He failed in the only innings he had, although he did score 94 against the Australians in a Festival match at Hastings towards the end of the season. He played in all but one of Gloucestershire’s Championship matches, appeared twice for M.C.C., against Surrey and Hampshire and played for Rest of England against the Champions, Surrey, at the end of the season. He scored 1,915 runs at an average of 36.13. He scored hundreds against Yorkshire, a splendid effort opening the innings at Bramall Lane; against the old enemy, Somerset, at Taunton when he shared with Martin Young in an opening partnership of 209, and, finally, against Hampshire at Southampton where he showed his appetite for a battle by adding 185 with John Mortimore after four wickets had fallen for 54 runs. Of equal merit was the 70 not out he scored at Stroud against Nottinghamshire, carrying the bottom half of the batting order from a score of 95-5 to 214 all out. Opening the innings with George Emmett at Bristol against Yorkshire he added 100 unbroken to give Gloucestershire a surprisingly easy victory in a match in which 30 wickets had fallen for 274 runs. He bowled 80 overs taking five wickets, and in fielding he held 63 catches to easily head the list of outfielders nine ahead of his nearest rival, Stuart Surridge. Only John Murray of the wicket-keepers held as many catches. Finally a note from the Wisden report on the Rest v Surrey game: “On the first day Milton defended admirably when the pitch was probably at its trickiest” - this against bowlers who had taken 444 wickets between them that summer. It is a passage that sums up Milton’s love of a good fight. Own Team O M R W Opp Ct Total Total 201. Gloucestershire v Oxford University, The Parks, April 28, 30, May 1 (Gloucestershire won by an innings and 10 runs) c I.Gibson b J.B.Phillips 11 299 184 1 105 1 202. M.C.C. v Surrey, Lord’s, May 2, 3, 4 (M.C.C. won by 55 runs) c P.B.H.May b W.S.Surridge10 142 235 1 b A.V.Bedser 48 266 118 1 203. M.C.C. v Hampshire, Lord’s, May 5, 7, 8 (Hampshire won by eight wickets) c L.Harrison b R.E.Marshall 40 125 351-5d c E.D.R.Eagar b D.Shackleton 66 247 24-2 204. Gloucestershire v Middlesex, Lord’s, May 12, 14, 15 (Match drawn) c P.H.Parfitt b R.V.C.Robins87 304-9d 170 b R.V.C.Robins 2 147-8 309-6d 205. Gloucestershire v Warwickshire, Bristol, May 16, 17, 18 (Warwickshire won by nine wickets) c J.D.Bannister b A.Townsend 19 305-8d 316-6d 2 hit wkt b W.E.Hollies 1 132-4d 124-1 22