Famous Cricketers No 70 - Keith Miller

174. New South Wales v Victoria, Melbourne, December 26, 28, 29, 30 (New South Wales won by nine wickets) b J.C.Hill 72 461 8.5 0 50 3 H.F.Lambert lbw 306 J.C.Hill c A.K.Davidson W.A.Johnston b did not bat - 71-1 7 0 20 1 R.N.Harvey lbw 222 175. New South Wales v Queensland, Sydney, January 1, 2, 4, 5 (Match drawn) b R.G.Archer 20 323 10 2 36 2 J.D.Bratchford c R.Benaud 206 P.J.P.Burge c J.H.de Courcy did not bat - 103-2d - - - - 203-4 176. A.L.Hassett’s XI v A.R.Morris’s XI, Melbourne, January 15, 16, 18, 19 (A.R.Morris’s XI won by 121 runs) c I.D.Craig b G.B.Hole 100 415 16 0 92 2 K.A.Archer c B.J.Flynn 562 1 A.R.Morris b c D.K.Carmody b W.A.Johnston 101 425 10 0 43 0 399 1 177. New South Wales v Victoria, Sydney, January 29, 30, February 1, 2 (Victoria won by five wickets) c R.Harvey b H.F.Lambert 13 182 14 2 51 2 C.C.McDonald c J.H.de Courcy 234 W.A.Johnston c I.D.Craig st L.V.Maddocks b I.W.Johnson 143 319 14 3 40 2 H.F.Lambert c sub (R.B.Simpson) 268-5 R.N.Harvey c G.S.Trueman 178. New South Wales v Western Australia, Sydney, February 6, 8, 9 (New South Wales won by six wickets) c A.T.Preen b H.R.Gorringe 76 297-9d 5 0 20 0 283 did not bat - 168-4 - - - - 181 179. New South Wales v South Australia, Sydney, February 19, 20, 22, 23 (New South Wales won by five wickets) did not bat - 321-4d 12 2 45 0 255 c H.N.Dansie b J.W.Wilson 25 109-5 4 0 18 1 G.B.Stevens c J.H.de Courcy 173 1 SEASON’S AVERAGES Batting and Fielding M I NO Runs HS Ave 100 50 Ct Sheffield Shield 7 10 2 510 143 63.75 1 4 2 Other match 1 2 0 201 101 100.50 2 - 2 Season 8 12 2 711 143 71.10 3 4 4 Career 179 259 27 11548 262* 49.77 33 55 115 Bowling O M R W BB Ave 5i 10m Strike RunR Sheffield Shield 115.5 18 405 14 3-50 28.92 - - 66.07 43.78 Other match 26 0 135 2 2-92 67.50 - - 104.00 64.90 Season (8-ball) 141.5 18 540 16 3-50 33.75 - - 70.81 47.66 Career (8-ball) 1797.3 254 } 8409 378 7-60 22.24 9 - 57.79 38.49 (6-ball) 1244.3 360 1954/55 The season of 1954/55 saw another “Ashes” Test series against England. In this series Australia encountered English pace to match and even better their own. Tyson and Statham were the answer to the Lindwall/Miller combination and, it must be said that on this occasion they represented the more potent force. Nevertheless Miller produced two memorable spells of bowling the first being in the Third Test at Melbourne when he bowled nine overs in the first session of play to dismiss Hutton, Edrich and Compton for a personal cost of five runs. England recovered to win the match as they did on the second occasion when Miller threatened their destruction. At Adelaide, in the Fourth Test, England needed just 94 runs to win and it looked a formality. Miller dismissed Hutton in his first over, Edrich in his second and Cowdrey in his third. He later caught May brilliantly at cover but it was not enough to turn the tide Australia’s way. He captained New South Wales to the Sheffield Shield title once again and it must have given him some satisfaction, in a season when he was passed over for the captaincy of Australia, to lead his State side to a 45 run victory over the touring team at Sydney in February. It is interesting to speculate on the result of the Test series had Miller been captain. It is also 29