Keith Miller

Keith Ross Miller MBE (born 28 November 1919, died 11 October 2004, Melbourne, Australia) was a famous Australian Test cricketer and World War II pilot. Miller is widely regarded as Australia's greatest ever all-rounder. Because of his irreverent manner and good looks he was a crowd favourite.

Miller, who was later nicknamed "Nugget", would vary his run-up and would often bowl his fastest deliveries from a shortened run. He would also bowl slower balls to keep the batsmen guessing. He was also a fine fielder anywhere in the field, but particularly in the slips. At the time of his retirement from Test cricket in 1956, he had the best statistics of any all-rounder in cricket history. He is still generally considered to be the greatest all-rounder that Australia has produced.

Early life and career

Miller, was named after the Australian pioneer aviator brothers Keith and Ross Smith. He studied at Box Hill High School before moving to Melbourne High School.

As a young boy, Miller aspired to become a jockey until a growth spurt in his teens caused his attention to turn to cricket. He first came to public notice for his cricket ability at the age of 16 when he scored 61 for South Melbourne Cricket Club in a match against Carlton Cricket Club, which was captained by Bill Woodfull, the former Australian captain. Impressed with Miller's performance, Carlton donated a silver cup which Woodfull presented to Miller in the classroom at Melbourne High School, where Woodfull happened to be a mathematics teacher. The school's oval is now named the Woodfull-Miller Oval.

In his debut for Victoria, in a Second XI match against Tasmania in 1937–38, Miller scored 181.

As was the case with many of his contemporaries, Miller's cricket career was interrupted by World War II, during which he served with the Royal Australian Air Force in Europe, as a pilot of Mosquito fighter-bombers. Miller had several narrow escapes, and injured his back when making a bellylanding after one of his plane's engines failed. This injury restricted his bowling on occasions during his subsequent cricket career. When asked by Michael Parkinson about pressure on the cricket field, Miller referred to his time as a pilot during World War II, famously replying, "Pressure is a Messerschmitt up your arse, playing cricket is not."

Among Miller's many close friends was his English counterpart as Test cricketer, footballer and national hero, Denis Compton. They first met in India during the war, in the match at Calcutta between the Australian armed forces team and East Zone. During East Zone's second innings, play was interrupted by rioting when Compton was on 94. One of the rioters who had invaded the pitch ran up to Compton and said "Mr Compton, you very good player, but the match must stop now". In subsequent years, Miller would gleefully repeat this statement whenever Compton came to the crease. In 2005, the ECB and Cricket Australia decided that the player adjudged the Player of the Series in the Ashes would be awarded the Miller-Compton Medal, recognising their friendship and rivalry.

Test debut

Miller resumed playing cricket with a bang, starring in the Victory Tests in England in 1945 after the war ended. He made his Test debut in Australia's first-ever Test match against New Zealand in March 1946, and was a key member of Donald Bradman's famous Invincibles team which toured England in 1948. He played 55 Test matches for Australia, retiring after the tour of England, Pakistan and India in 1956.

Miller successfully captained New South Wales, but never captained Australia, even though Richie Benaud, one of Australia's greatest Test captains, described him as one of the greatest captains he ever played under. Many believe this was because of his wayward off-field behaviour, disputes with Don Bradman, and his refusal to take cricket too seriously. He sometimes set his field by saying to his players: "scatter". On being told on one occasion that his NSW team was taking the field with 12 men, he is reported to have said "Well, somebody bugger off then," before sauntering away. On the 1948 tour, as Australia scored 721 in a day against Essex, after coming in at 2-364, Miller stepped away from the stumps, let himself be bowled first ball by Trevor Bailey and headed for the local racecourse.

Miller played 50 matches in the VFL for Australian rules football team St Kilda, mainly at full back and centre half back, and was a member of the Victorian state football team in 1946.

Miller was one of the five Wisden Cricketers of the Year in 1954, and one of the ten inaugural inductees into the Australian Cricket Hall of Fame in 1996. He is one of only four Australian cricketers, the others being Bradman, Victor Trumper and Shane Warne, to be honoured with a portrait in the Long Room at Lord's in London.

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