Famous Cricketers No 70 - Keith Miller

Miller has retained his interest in cricket since his retirement from the game both as a journalist with The Daily Express and as the author of a number of books on the game, often written in joint authorship with his colleague from the Australian Services Team, R.S.Whitington. He was married to Peggy Warner in September 1946 and the couple have four sons. Miller was awarded the M.B.E. in 1956. 1937/38 Miller. aged 18 years 66 days, made his first-class debut and scored 181 batting at number five in the order. It was an experimental Victorian side with seven debutants none of whom played in the State game against South Australia that immediately followed. Own Team O M R W Opp Ct Total Total 1. Victoria v Tasmania, Melbourne, February 1, 2, 3 (Match drawn) c J.I.Murfett b J.N.W.Nicolson 181 470 353 did not bat - 132-4 337-3d SEASON’S AVERAGES Batting and Fielding M I NO Runs HS Ave 100 50 Ct Other matches 1 1 0 181 181 181.00 1 - - 1938/39 Miller played four matches for Victoria in the 1938/39 season, against Tasmania at Launceston and Hobart and two against Western Australia at Perth. The Tasmanian games were very much a Victorian second team effort as they overlapped State games with New South Wales and South Australia. They were interesting in that they represented the first time that Miller had played on the same first-class team as his future rival for the Australian captaincy, Ian Johnson. Miller scored only 14 runs in three innings, once not out. Against Western Australia a more representative side was selected including six regular Victorian State teammembers led by the State captain K.E.Rigg. Miller made 111 runs in four innings including his only fifty of the season. Own Team O M R W Opp Ct Total Total 2. Victoria v Tasmania, Launceston, December 26, (27), 28 (Match drawn) st J.Gardiner b S.W.L.Putman 4 437 258 1 not out 7 15-1 3. Victoria v Tasmania, Hobart, December 30, 31, January 2 (Victoria won by ten wickets) lbw b A.L.Pearsall 3 491-4d 315 did not bat - 23-0 196 4. Victoria v Western Australia, Perth, March 4, 6, 7 (Match drawn) c A.E.O.Barras b A.G.Zimbulis 38 266 396-9d 1 lbw b A.G.Zimbulis 55 310 5. Victoria v Western Australia, Perth, March 9, 10, 11 (Match drawn) lbw b G.Eyres 1 226 257 2 not out 17 78-3 225-5d 1 6