Famous Cricketers No 70 - Keith Miller

1950/51 Miller had a magnificent season in 1950/51 especially with the bat. He started off in positively Bradmanesque style hitting 201 not out, 63, 138 not out and 214 in his first four innings. He could not keep this up, of course, but he did score two more centuries that season as well as scores of 99 and 98. He made 1332 runs altogether at an average of 78.35 to finish second to Hassett both in aggregate and average in the Australian season. As a bowler he was not quite so dominant taking only twenty seven wickets at 28.22 but he was outstanding in the Test matches against England taking seventeen wickets at only 17.70 to head the averages. He also headed the Test batting averages with 350 runs at 43.75. In the first two Tests he performed moderately scoring 55 runs in four innings and taking five wickets. In the Third Test at Sydney England were heading for a big first innings score at 128-1 with Hutton and Simpson well set. Miller removed both of them as well as Compton in a spell of four hostile overs. When Australia batted he scored 145 not out in 354 minutes adding 150 with Ian Johnson for the seventh wicket to set Australia up with a winning total. At Adelaide in the Fourth Test Miller scored 44 and 99 with the bat. In England’s second innings they were shaping well for a draw at 221-4 until Miller came on and dismissed Sheppard, Evans and Bedser in another fiery spell to reduce them to 228 all out. In the Fifth Test at Melbourne he took another four wickets, not enough to deny England their first “Ashes” Test win since the War. In other games against the tourists he made 214 for New South Wales adding 265 with Morris for the second wicket and batting for 311 minutes hitting three sixes and fifteen fours. The Times called it “magnificent batting”. He made 98 in the return match, his partnership with Morris this time yielded only 140, and he scored 62 for an Australian XI at Sydney. He also savaged the Queensland attack scoring 402 runs against them and only being dismissed once. In the Sydney match against them New South Wales were set 225 to win in 130 minutes. Miller and Morris made light of this scoring the runs in 29.3 overs in 119 minutes. Miller’s contribution was 138 not out with one six and sixteen fours. Own Team O M R W Opp Ct Total Total 111. New South Wales v Queensland, Brisbane, October 20, 21, 23, 24 (New South Wales won by an innings and 56 runs) not out 201 529-9d 7 3 16 0 232 10.5 0 48 2 V.N.Raymer b 241 C.R.Smith c R.A.Saggers 112. New South Wales v Queensland, Sydney, November 3, 4, 6, 7 (New South Wales won by ten wickets) c K.A.Archer b V.N.Raymer 63 229 4 0 16 1 K.D.Mackay c S.G.Simsey 216 not out 138 225-0 1 0 4 0 237-4d 113. New South Wales v MCC, Sydney, November 10, 11, 13, 14 (Match drawn) b W.E.Hollies 214 509-3d 339 did not bat - 140-2d 143-2 114. New South Wales v Victoria, Melbourne, November 17, 18, 20, 21 (Match drawn) lbw b S.J.E.Loxton 0 346 10 3 38 0 374 1 10 1 32 0 295 2 115. New South Wales v South Australia, Adelaide, November 24, 25, 27, 28 (Match drawn) lbw b G.Noblet 0 484 10 2 40 1 G.B.Hole c R.V.James 439 1 - - - - 127-4 116. AUSTRALIA v ENGLAND, Brisbane, December 1, (2), 4, 5 (Australia won by 70 runs) c A.J.W.McIntyre b D.V.P.Wright 15 228 10 1 29 2 J.G.Dewes c S.J.E.Loxton 68-7d F.R.Brown c D.Tallon c R.T.Simpson b T.E.Bailey 8 32-7d 7 3 21 1 J.G.Dewes b 122 117. Australian XI v MCC, Sydney, December 15, 16, 18, 19 (Match drawn) c T.G.Evans b J.J.Warr 62 526-9d 11 2 25 1 A.V.Bedser c A.K.Walker 321 9 1 15 1 R.T.Simpson lbw 173-3 118. AUSTRALIA v ENGLAND, Melbourne, December 22, 23, 26, 27 (Australia won by 28 runs) lbw b F.R.Brown 18 194 13 0 39 2 R.T.Simpson c I.W.Johnson 197 1 W.G.A.Parkhouse c A.L.Hassett b T.E.Bailey 14 181 5 2 16 0 150 21