Keith Miller
1061737
224756957
2008-07-10T08:14:35Z
Blnguyen
435516
/* Early life */ prune
{{otherpeople|Keith Miller}}
{{Infobox cricketer biography
| playername = Keith Miller
| image = KeithMiller1954.jpg
| country = Australia
| fullname = Keith Ross Miller
| nickname = Nugget
| dayofbirth = 28
| monthofbirth = 11
| yearofbirth = 1919
| placeofbirth = [[Sunshine, Victoria|Sunshine]], [[Victoria (Australia)|Victoria]]
| countryofbirth = [[Australia]]
| dayofdeath = 11
| monthofdeath = 10
| yearofdeath = 2004
| placeofdeath = [[Mornington, Victoria|Mornington]], Victoria
| countryofdeath = Australia
| heightft =
| heightinch =
| heightm = 1.88
| batting = Right-hand batsman
| bowling = Right-arm [[Seam bowling#Fast|fast]]
| role = [[All-rounder]]
| international = true
| testdebutdate = 29 March
| testdebutyear = 1946
| testdebutagainst = New Zealand
| testcap = 168
| lasttestdate = 11 October
| lasttestyear = 1956
| lasttestagainst = Pakistan
| club1 = [[Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club|Nottinghamshire]]
| year1 = 1959
| club2 = [[Marylebone Cricket Club|MCC]]
| year2 = 1959
| club3 = [[New South Wales Blues|New South Wales]]
| year3 = 1947/48–1955/56
| club4 = [[Victoria Bushrangers|Victoria]]
| year4 = 1937/38–1946/47
| deliveries = balls
| columns = 2
| column1 = [[Test matches|Tests]]
| matches1 = 55
| runs1 = 2958
| bat avg1 = 36.97
| 100s/50s1 = 7/13
| top score1 = 147
| deliveries1 = 10461
| wickets1 = 170
| bowl avg1 = 22.97
| fivefor1 = 7
| tenfor1 = 1
| best bowling1 = 7/60
| catches/stumpings1 = 38/–
| column2 = [[First-class cricket|First-class]]
| matches2 = 226
| runs2 = 14183
| bat avg2 = 48.90
| 100s/50s2 = 41/63
| top score2 = 281[[not out|*]]
| deliveries2 = 28377
| wickets2 = 497
| bowl avg2 = 22.30
| fivefor2 = 16
| tenfor2 = 1
| best bowling2 = 7/12
| catches/stumpings2 = 136/–
|date=19 December
| year = 2007
| source = http://www.cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/0/741/741.html CricketArchive
}}
'''Keith Ross Miller''' [[Member of the British Empire|MBE]] ([[28 November]] [[1919]] - [[11 October]] [[2004]]) was an [[Australia]]n Test [[cricket]]er and a [[World War II]] pilot of the [[Royal Australian Air Force]]. Miller is widely regarded as Australia's greatest ever [[all-rounder]].<ref name="BBCObit">[http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/cricket/other_international/australia/3733322.stm BBC SPORT | Cricket | Other International | Australia | Australia's greatest all-rounder<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> Because of his ability, irreverent manner and good looks he was a crowd favourite.<ref name="SMH">http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2004/10/11/1097406502446.html "a mop of jet black hair and film star good looks"</ref> An [[England|English]] journalist called Miller "the golden boy" of cricket, leading to him being nicknamed "[[Gold nugget|Nugget]]".<ref name="McNicoll">[http://www.awm.gov.au/fiftyaustralians/32.asp Keith Miller<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> He "was more than a cricketer: ...he embodied the idea that there was more to life than cricket".<ref name="Cricinfo">[http://content-uk.cricinfo.com/australia/content/player/6612.html Cricinfo - Players and Officials - Keith Miller<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
By the time of his retirement from [[Test cricket]] in [[1956]], Miller had the best statistics of any all-rounder in cricket history.<ref name="BBCObit">"By the time Miller had retired after 55 Tests, he had the finest all-round record in cricket history, with statistics that were only beaten in later eras. The second man, Wilfred Rhodes, was 663 runs and 43 wickets behind him."</ref> He often batted high in the [[Batting order (cricket)|order]], sometimes as high as number three. He was a powerful striker of the ball, and one straight [[six (cricket)|six]] that he hit at the [[Sydney Cricket Ground]] was still rising when it hit the first deck of the M.A. Noble Stand.{{Fact|date=December 2007}} When [[bowling (cricket)|bowling]], Miller was famous for varying his run-up, would often bowl his fastest deliveries from a short run and frequently bowled much slower balls, to surprise batsmen.{{Fact|date=December 2007}} He averaged just over three wickets per game, because he was used sparingly in his later career, due to a wartime injury.{{Fact|date=December 2007}} He was also a fine [[fielding (cricket)|fielder]] and an especially acrobatic catcher in the [[slips (cricket)|slips]].<ref name="Pollard"/>
Miller was also a successful [[Australian rules football]]er, and played for [[St Kilda Football Club|St Kilda]] and the [[interstate matches in Australian rules football|Victorian state team]].<ref name="MCG">[http://www.mcg.org.au/default.asp?pg=tourshofinaugural MCG - Cricket Hall of Fame<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> He played 50 games for the Saints, and occasionally played in the forward line, where he kicked eight [[Laws of Australian football#Scoring|goal]]s in one game, during [[1941]].{{Fact|date=December 2007}}
[[Neville Cardus]] referred to Miller as "the Australian in excelsis"; ''[[Daily Mail]]'' sportswriter [[Ian Wooldridge]]'s response was "By God he was right".<ref name="Cricinfo"/> This status was reflected when Miller was made one of the ten inaugural members of the [[Australian Cricket Hall of Fame]].<ref name="MCG"/>
==Early life==
{{main|Early life of Keith Miller}}
Born in the western [[Melbourne]] suburb of [[Sunshine, Victoria|Sunshine]], Miller was the youngest of four children born to Leslie and Edith Miller.<ref name="p10"/><Ref name="p11">Perry, p. 11.</ref> He was named after the Australian pioneer aviator brothers [[Ross Macpherson Smith|Ross]] and [[Keith Macpherson Smith|Keith Smith]], who were in the half-way through their historic [[England to Australia flight|flight from England to Australia]] at the time Miller was born.<ref name="Pollard">{{cite book
|last=Pollard
|first=Jack
|title=Australian Cricket:The Game and the Players
|year=1988
|publisher=Angus & Robertson
|location=Sydney
|isbn=0 207 15269 1
|pages = pp. 755–759
}}</ref><Ref name="p10">Perry, p. 10.</ref>
The three Miller boys quickly took a liking to sport, playing [[Australian rules football]] in winter and cricket in summer. Their father had been a successful local player and taught the boys to play with correct technique,<Ref name="p11"/> relying on a solid defence and concentration in the mould of [[Bill Ponsford]].<ref name="p12">Perry, p. 12.</ref> At the age of seven, Miller's family moved to the inner-eastern Melbourne suburb of [[Elsternwick, Victoria|Elsternwick]].<ref name="p12"/> Miller's was one of the smallest children in his school, thereby forcing him to develop his technique rather than rely on power, something that held him in good stead for the future.<Ref name="p13">Perry, p. 13.</ref>
At the age of 12, he was selected for an under-15 Victorian schoolboys cricket team.<Ref name="Coleman"/> At the time, he stood only 150 cm and wielded a sawn-off bat.<Ref name="p15"/> His shots did not go a long way, but he impressed observers with his footwork and style.<Ref name="p15">Perry, p. 15.</ref><ref name="p16">Perry, p. 16.</ref> However, his lack of growth in childhood made him turn to horseriding.<Ref name="p16"/> Miller felt that as he appeared destined to be short, a successful career as a jockey was more likely than cricket or football.<ref name="p17">Perry, p. 17.</ref>
Miller attended the selective [[Melbourne High School]],<ref name="p17"/> where [[Australia national cricket team|Australian]] Test captain [[Bill Woodfull]] was his mathematics teacher.<ref name="Coleman">{{cite book
|last=Coleman
|first=Robert
|title=Seasons In the Sun: the Story Of the Victorian Cricket Association
|year=1993
|publisher=Hargreen Publishing
|location=Melbourne
|isbn=0 949905 59 3
|pages = pp. 473–478
}}</ref> Miller was a mediocre student, as he did little study and focused his energy on sport,<Ref name="p18">Perry, p. 18.</ref> which disappointed Woodfull.<ref name="p18"/> However, Woodfull quickly noticed Miller's cricket skills.<ref name="p19">Perry, p. 19.</ref> Aged 14, Miller was selected in the school's First XI. With his pads flapping against his stomach and sporting a sawn-down bat, Miller scored 44 on his senior debut. His lack of power was obvious, but his control and solidity prompted the spectators to call him ''the Unbowlable'', the same nickname as Woodfull.<Ref name="p20">Perry, p. 20.</ref> In 1934, Miller failed all of his subjects and was the class [[dunce]], scoring zero in his final exam for Woodfull's geometry class.<Ref name="p21">Perry, p. 21.</ref><ref name="p22">Perry, p. 22.</ref>
[[Image:Awm 044827 ( truscott 1941).jpg|Keith Truscott, Miller's schoolboy cricket captain and mentor.|thumb]]
Truscott took Miller to a try out with [[St Kilda Cricket Club|St Kilda]] at the start of the 1934–35 season, but Miller could not find a place in any of its five teams.<ref name="p21"/> Joining the local [[Victorian Sub-District Cricket Association|sub-district]] cricket club Elsternwick, he did not get to bat or bowl in his first match, and was then dropped to the Second XI for his poor fielding. <ref name=Coleman/><ref name="p21"/> Nevertheless, the former [[Victorian Bushrangers|Victorian]] state player [[Hughie Carroll]] spotted Miller's talent and lured him to the rival [[Casey-South Melbourne Cricket Club|South Melbourne]] club,<ref name="p22"/> while playing in the seconds for Elsternwick.<Ref name="p22"/> Miller began playing for South Melbourne in the following season,<ref name="p22"/> making his First XI [[Victorian Premier Cricket|district cricket]] debut at the start of the 1935–36 season.<Ref name="p23">Perry, p. 23.</ref>
It was at South Melbourne that he met [[Ian Johnson (cricketer)|Ian Johnson]] and [[Lindsay Hassett]], his future Australia team-mates and captains. Miller scored only 12 not out on debut, but observers felt he would succeed if he could physically grow.<ref name="p23"/> His fielding improvement saw him moved to the slips and he was named as Melbourne High School's cricket sports champion for 1936.<ref name="p24">Perry, p. 24.</ref> This prompted Woodfull to write in the school magazine that "Miller has Test possibilities".<ref name="p25">Perry, p. 25.</ref>
[[Image:WMWoodfull.jpg|thumb|The Australian cricket captain [[Bill Woodfull]] was Miller's high school mathematics teacher. Woodfull presented Miller with a silver eggcup during maths class in recognition of the 61 Miller scored against Woodfull's club side.]]
In March, he played for South Melbourne against [[Carlton Cricket Club|Carlton]], captained by Woodfull. South Melbourne batted first and Miller came to the crease at 6/32.<ref name="p25"/> He guided his team to 141, putting on a stand of 65 with the last man and finishing with 61.<ref name="p26">Perry, p. 26.</ref> The crowd gave Miller a standing ovation, and newspapers him compared him to Ponsford and [[Alan Kippax]].<Ref name="p27">Perry, p. 27.</ref> Miller's performance prompted Carlton to donate a silver eggcup as a memento "for sterling performance",<ref name="FabFarewell">{{cite news
| title = Fab farewell for cricket legend Keith Miller
| url = http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2004/10/20/1097951766524.html?from=storylhs
| publisher = [[The Age]]
| date = [[2004-10-20]]
| accessdate = 2007-12-22
}}</ref> which Woodfull to during algebra class.<ref name="p27"/>
During 1936, Miller underwent a sudden growth spurt.<ref name="p25"/> Having grown 28 cm in a year,<Ref name="p29">Perry, p. 29.</ref> Miller reached 185 cm in height, thwarting his ambition to be a jockey, although he never lost his love for the racetrack.<ref name=Coleman/> He began to play football in a more physically aggressive manner.<ref name="p28">Perry, p. 28.</ref> At the start of the 1936–37 season, he was selected for the Colts, a state under-21 team.<Ref name="p29"/> At the end of 1936, he completed year 10 and quit high school, taking a position as a clerk for a car business.<ref name="p30">Perry, p. 30.</ref>
Miller spent the 1937–38 season with the Colts and won the team's batting trophy for having the best average.<ref name="p30"/><ref name=Coleman/> At this stage, he was a solid, slow and steady batsman, who accumulated his runs gradually.<Ref name="p31">Perry,p. 31.</ref> Late in the summer, he made his [[First-class cricket|first-class]] debut for the Victorian Second XI and hit 181 against [[Tasmanian Tigers|Tasmania]] at the [[Melbourne Cricket Ground]].<ref>[http://www.cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/16/16497.html Cricket Archive: Victoria v Tasmania 1937–38, scorecard.]</ref> In 1938–39, he rejoined South Melbourne and played four first-class matches for Victoria, scoring 125 runs at an average of 25.00. However, he was yet to play in the [[Sheffield Shield]] competition but only in one-off matches.<ref name="p33"/><ref>[http://www.cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/0/741/f_Batting_by_Season.html Cricket Archive: First-class batting and fielding in each season by KR Miller.] Retrieved 27-12-2007.</ref>
He achieved more success as a footballer after following his brothers in joining the [[Brighton Football Club]] in the [[Victorian Football Association]] (VFA) in 1937.<ref name=Coleman/> A defender, Miller played his first two season on the flanks, before being moved to central defensive positions until his third year in 1939.<Ref name="p33"/> At this stage, he was unable to [[hip and shoulder]] his opponents and relied on his running ability and accurate kicking.<Ref name="p33">Perry, p. 33.</ref>
In 1939–40, Miller was selected to make his Sheffield Shield debut, against [[Southern Redbacks|South Australia]] at [[Adelaide Oval]].<ref name="p35">Perry, p. 35.</ref> Batting at No. 5, Miller came to the crease at 3/18, but managed only four.<ref name="p36"/> When Victoria fielded, Miller [[run out|ran out]] his future ''Invincibles'' captain [[Don Bradman]], the first time that Bradman had been caught short of his ground.<ref name="p36">Perry, p. 36.</ref> In the second innings, he managed seven before being bowled by [[Clarrie Grimmett]].<ref name="p37">Perry, p. 37.</ref> One of Miller's teammates was [[Percy Beames]], who was his manager at [[Vacuum Oil]].<ref name="p38"/> Miller scored 41 and 47 not out in his second match to hold his place. However, against [[New South Wales Blues|New South Wales]], Miller was out for 14 in both innings, having difficulties against leg spin.<Ref name="p38">Perry, p. 38.</ref> In the return match against South Australia, Miller took the initiative against Grimmett, charging down the wicket to drive the leg spinner. Miller reached 108, his first century in Shield competition.<Ref name="p39">Perry, p. 39.</ref><Ref name="p40">Perry, p. 40.</ref> Apart from the century, Miller had an average season, ending with 298 runs at 29.80, but he did not bowl.<Ref name="p43">Perry, p. 43.</ref>
In 1940, Miller started his fourth season in the VFA. In a match against [[Coburg Tigers|Coburg]], he was assigned to man the greatest forward of the era, [[Bob Pratt]].<Ref name="p44">Perry, p. 44.</ref> Pratt had scored 678 goals in ten seasons for [[Sydney Swans|South Melbourne]] in the [[Australian Football League|Victorian Football League]] (VFL), the top tier of football.<ref name="p45">Perry, p. 45.</ref> Miller restricted Pratt to one goal for the match and was named as the best on ground. Scouts from VFL club [[St Kilda Football Club|St Kilda]] signed Miller on the spot.<ref name="p46">Perry, p. 46.</ref> Playing as a defender, Miller debuted against [[Carlton Blues|Carlton]], playing on the half-back flank, but was [[king hit]] by his opponent [[Ron Cooper]] at the start of the match.<Ref name="p47">Perry, p. 47.</ref><ref name="Main">{{cite book
|last=Main
|first=Jim
|coauthors=Holmesby, Russell
|title=The encyclopedia of league footballers
|year=1992
|publisher=Wilkinson
|location=Melbourne
|isbn=1 86337 085 4
|pages=p. 269.
}}</ref> When St Kilda next met Carlton, Miller shoulder bumped Cooper in the first minute, forcing his opponent to leave the field.<ref name="p48">Perry, p. 48.</ref> In one match, Miller was reported to showing dissent, but was let off without punishment. St Kilda came second last for the year, but Miller was voted as the club's best and fairest.<Ref name="p49">Perry, p. 49.</ref>
==War service==
{{main|Military career of Keith Miller}}
As was the case with many of his contemporaries, Miller's sporting career was interrupted by [[World War II]]. On [[August 20]], [[1940]], Miller joined the [[Australian Army Reserve|Militia]] (army reserve), and was assigned to the 4th Reserve Motor Transport Company.<ref name="p49">Perry, p.49.</ref><ref name="ww2nom1">{{cite web
| url = http://www.ww2roll.gov.au/script/veteran.asp?ServiceID=A&VeteranID=633547
| title = "MILLER, KEITH ROSS" [Service Number V74626]
| publisher = [[Department of Veterans' Affairs (Australia)|Department of Veterans' Affairs]]
| accessdate = 2007-12-30
}}</ref> In late September, Miller began his first army training camp in Melbourne. A non-conformist, he had the first of his many clashes with authority on November 4, when he was fined for "using insulting language to a superior officer".<ref name="p49"/> Miller's knockabout persona soon saw him earn the nickname ''Dusty'', referring to his tendency to be involved in a "dust-up", meaning a physical fight.<Ref name="p50">Perry, p. 50.</ref>
During the summer of 1940–41, Miller was granted leave so that he could play interstate cricket. In a season shortened due to war, Miller scored 140 tuns at 28.00. He bowled at first-class level for the first time, taking his first wicket, that of [[Ken Ridings]].<Ref name="p50"/>
The 1941 VFL season went ahead despite the loss of many players to military service. Miller played in the backline and in attack depending on match conditions.<ref name="p51">Perry, p. 51.</ref> He booted 28 goals in 16 games,<ref>[http://stats.afl.com.au/public/statistics/playerseasonlist/12/1941/playerseasonlist_12_1941.shtml?club_idIndex=13&season_idIndex=66 afl.com.au: AFL statistics for St Kilda FC, season 1941.]</ref> including eight in one match.<ref name="p51"/> He again showed his disrespect for authority and reputation, striking his boss Beames with a raised elbow at the start of a match against [[Melbourne Demons|Melbourne]]. Miller came second in St Kilda's best and fairest for 1941.<ref name="p52">Perry, p. 52.</ref>
Miller's season ended early after he was called back for army service. However, he had disciplinary problems and disliked taking orders from his officers,<ref name="p52"/> so he left the Militia on [[November 8]], [[1941]].<ref name="ww2nom1"/> Miller and a friend then attempted to join the [[Royal Australian Navy]] (RAN). When the navy rejected his friend, Miller tore up his paperwork, left the recruiting office,<ref name="p52"/> and walked around the corner to the [[Royal Australian Air Force]] (RAAF) recruiting office.<ref name="p52"/> The threat of combat increased when the Pacific Theatre of World War II opened on [[December 7]], [[1941]] with the [[Imperial Japan|Japanese]] [[attack on Pearl Harbor]].<ref name="p53">Perry, p. 53.</ref> On January 30, [[1942]] he was called to active service,<ref name="ww2nom2">{{cite web
| url = http://www.ww2roll.gov.au/script/veteran.asp?ServiceID=R&VeteranID=1057249
| title = "MILLER, KEITH ROSS" [Service Number 410608]
| publisher = [[Department of Veterans' Affairs (Australia)|Department of Veterans' Affairs]]
| accessdate = 2007-12-30
}}</ref> and sent to No. 4 Initial Training School at [[Victor Harbour]] in [[South Australia]]. Miller quickly showed his anti-authoritarian streak in a training drill where Miller's training instructor asked the recruits to disarm him.<ref name="p53"/> Miller volunteered to combat the instructor, and succeeded twice by tripping the sergeant and removing his firearm. After the second occasion, he wiped his boot on his NCO's shirt and soiled it. The irate instructor put Miller on guard duty, but the camp adjutant overruled the sergeant, putting the sergeant on guard duty instead.<ref name="p54">Perry, p. 54.</ref>
Miller trained at flying schools at [[Cunderdin, Western Australia]] and [[Mallala, South Australia]], and gained his wings in late 1942.<Ref name="p55">Perry, p. 55.</ref> He played only one match during the 1942 football season, while posted in South Australia.<ref name="p55"/> On [[December 17]], he returned to Melbourne and was promoted to the rank of [[flight sergeant]].<ref name="p55"/> On [[January 15]], [[1943]], he sailed to Europe in readiness for combat.<ref name="p56">Perry, p. 56.</ref> The journey included a stopover at a training camp in [[Boston]] in the [[United States]]. It was there that Miller met Peg Wagner, his future wife. In March, he was deployed to the southern English coastal town of [[Bournemouth]], where he continued his pilot training.<ref>Perry, pp. 59–61.</ref>
Miller had the first of many brushes with death in April, when he was invited to play weekend cricket for a [[Royal Australian Air Force cricket team|RAAF team]] in London. While he was away, some of his colleagues were killed in a German air strike.<ref name="p62">Perry, p. 62.</ref> Miller quickly gained a reputation among the servicemen for his carefree style.<Ref name="p64">Perry, p. 64.</ref> The RAAF team was officially formed in preparation for the 1943 season and Miller was selected. Miller played his first match at [[Lord's]], the home of cricket against [[Plum Warner|Warner's XI]], a team that former England captains [[Bob Wyatt]] and [[Gubby Allen]] and future Test players [[Alec Bedser|Alec]] and [[Eric Bedser]] and [[Trevor Bailey]].<Ref name="p65">Perry, p. 65.</ref> Oblivious to authority, Miller pushed a person out of his way before the match started, unaware that it was Warner himself.<Ref name="p66">Perry, p. 66.</ref> Miller came to the crease with the RAAF at 2/5 and hit consecutive fours from the bowling from [[Dick Pollard]], top-scoring with 45. In the second innings, he made 21 not out with two sixes.<ref name="p67"/> The RAAF played eight matches for the season and Miller's top score was 141 in faster than even time against Public School Wanderers at [[Hove]].<ref name="p67">Perry, p. 67.</ref> He went on to play for Dominions against Warner's XI in August, scoring 32 and two in a match against a team of almost Test standard.<ref name="p68">Perry, p. 68.</ref> The match marked the first meeting between Miller and his good friend, England batsman [[Denis Compton]]. Miller's bowling began to attract media attention.<ref name="p69">Perry, p. 69.</ref> In the final match of the season at Lord's between the RAAF and the [[Royal Air Force]], Miller took 3/23 and scored 91 in the RAAF's total of 8/184.<Ref name="p70">Perry, p. 70.</ref>
By late 1943, Miller has been based in [[Gloucestershire]]. One night, Miller threatened to punch his commanding officer, resulting in him being sentenced to a three-week disciplinary course with hard labour for insubordination.<Ref name="p71">Perry, p. 71.</ref> In mid-November he was posted to [[Ouston]] near [[Newcastle-upon-Tyne]] where he was trained in the used of radar.<Ref name="p72">Perry, p. 72.</ref> During his stay there, Miller was thrown on his back during a wrestling match, sustaining an injury that caused him recurring back problems, diminishing his ability to bowl.<ref name="p74">Perry, p. 74.</ref><Ref name="p78">Perry, p. 78.</ref>
In 1944, Miller was again selected for the RAAF team. In a match against the British Civil Defence Services at Lord's in July, Miller reached his century just as a [[V-1 flying bomb]] landed nearby.<Ref name="p79">Perry, p. 79.</ref> In a match against [[England national cricket team|England]], Miller scored 85 in 100 minutes.<Ref name="p80">Perry, p. 80.</ref> He took match figures of 6/28 against he West of England at [[Bristol]].<ref name="p81">Perry, p. 81.</ref>
[[Image:De Havilland Mosquito-DK338-1942.jpg|thumb|right|A Mosquito, the type of aircraft piloted by Miller during World War II.]]
After ten months of training, Miller was offered a commission as a [[pilot officer]],<ref name="p81"/> and was posted to 12 Air Force Unit in [[Grantham]], [[Lincolnshire]] on [[August 15]], [[1946]].<Ref name="p82">Perry, p. 82.</ref> However, on a trip back to Ouston to visit their colleagues, a night of drunken revelry saw Miller charged with eight offences and facing possible expulsion.<Ref name="p83">Perry, p. 83.</ref> Luckily for Miller, the commanding officer (CO) at his new posting at [[Cranfield]], [[Buckinghamshire]] was his old CO at Ouston. Miller's pleas convinced the CO to reduce his sentence to a fine for property damage.<ref name="p84">Perry, p. 84.</ref> Miller was allowed to resume his training in [[Bristol Beaufort|Beauforts]], [[Bristol Beaufighter|Beaufighters]] and [[De Havilland Mosquito|Mosquitos]]. Again he had a near miss, when some instruments on his plane failed and he was forced to land his Beaufighter for repairs. After the repairs, another pilot used the plane and the problem recurred. The second pilot crash-landed and was killed.<ref name="p85">Perry, p. 85.</ref> Later on, Miller was returning from a training mission when he misjudged the runway and missed the hangar by centimetres.<Ref name="p86"/> He then escaped death by skipping a social appointment; a V1 bomb hit the venue and killed many of the patrons.<ref name="p86"/> In October, he went [[AWOL]] to watch a concert and was dismissed, but the CO revoked his decision on the condition that Miller play for his cricket team.<Ref name="p86">Perry, p. 86.</ref> At the end of his officer training, Miller was sent aboard a [[Royal Navy]] destroyer as part of an exchange program between the forces. During a mission to [[Belgium]], the vessel was involved in a battle with a German [[U-boat]], which was sunk. Upon his return to England, Miller was promoted to [[flying officer]] on [[November 4]], [[1944]].<Ref name="p89">Perry, p. 89.</ref>
In March 1945, Miller was deployed to the RAF station at [[Great Massingham]] in [[Norfolk]], [[East Anglia]].<Ref name="p93">Perry, p. 93.</ref> He was assigned to the [[No. 169 Squadron RAF]], flying Mosquito [[fighter-bomber]]s.<ref name="p94">Perry, p. 94.</ref> Miller's squadron took part in missions against [[Nazi Germany]] in April and May of 1945. They attacked V-1 and [[V-2 rocket|V-2]] production and test launch sites on the island of [[Peenemunde]] in the [[North Sea]].<Ref name="p95">Perry, p. 95.</ref> On April 19, Miller took part in an attack on a German installation at [[Flensburg]] in [[Denmark]].<Ref name="p96">Perry, p. 96.</ref> In May, his squadron was deployed in [[Operation Fire Bash]], to attack [[Westerland Airfield]] on the island of [[Sylt]].<Ref name="p96"/> Miller and his colleagues had tanks loaded with napalm, which were to be dropped on the Germans.<ref name="p97">Perry, p. 97.</ref> One of Miller's loads remained dangling from a wing, refusing to fall. He flew back to base with the explosives, and it fell off upon landing at the air base. Luckily for Miller, it failed to detonate.<Ref name="p99">Perry, p. 99.</ref> Miller avoided further European missions as bad weather forced the cancellation of further raids over the next few days, by which time Germany had surrendered.<Ref>Perry, pp. 100–101.</ref> His commanding officer ordered him to fly air force personnel over Germany to view the results of Allied bombing. On one flight, Miller broke away from the flying formation and returned to base late because he wanted to fly over [[Bonn]], the birthplace of [[Beethoven]].<Ref name="p102">Perry, p. 102.</ref>
=== Victory Tests ===
{{seealso|Victory Tests}}
The end of the war marked the start of the 1945 cricket season. Miller returned to Lord's and scored 50 for the RAAF against a British Empire XI.<Ref name="p102">Perry, p. 102.</ref> Warner had organised a series of matches between England and Australian servicemen, known as the [[Victory Tests]], to celebrate the end of hostilities.<Ref name="p103">Perry, p. 103.</ref> However, Australian cricket administrators would not accredit the three-day matches as Tests.<Ref name="p103"/><Ref name="p104"/> England were close to full strength, so the AIF and the RAAF teams merged to form the [[Australian Services cricket team]] under the leadership of [[Warrant Officer]] Hassett.<Ref name="p104">Perry, p. 104.</ref><Ref name="p105">Perry, p. 105.</ref> The First Victory Test was at Lord's and was expected to usher in a new post-war era, which it hoped would be more attractive to watch.<Ref name="p105"/> England batted first and Miller bowled his Great Massingham pilot colleague [[Bill Edrich]] to end with 1/11.<ref name="p106">Perry, p. 106.</ref> Miller came to the crease at and helped Australia take the lead, before cutting loose, eventually finishing with 105 in 210 minutes.<Ref name="p107">Perry, p. 107.</ref> ''[[The Times]]'' opined that his innings was "as good a century as has been seen at Lord's in many a long day".<ref name="p108">Perry, p. 108.</ref> Australia went on to win by six wickets.<Ref name="p110">Perry, p. 110.</ref>
Miller went on to play for the RAAF against [[Lancashire County Cricket Club|Lancashire]], where his 52 was the only fifty in a low-scoring game.<Ref name="p110"/> He followed by top-scoring with 63 in a win for the RAAF over the RAF at Lord's.<Ref name="p111">Perry, p. 111.</ref> The Second Victory Test was played at [[Bramall Lane]] in [[Sheffield]], where Hassett elected to field. Miller was wicketless and scored 17 in the first innings.<ref name="p111"/><Ref name="p112">Perry, p. 112.</ref> In the second innings, Miller bowled a fierce spell, hitting Test world record holder [[Len Hutton]] in the arm and [[Cyril Washbrook]] in the head, provoking an angry crowd reaction.<Ref name="p113">Perry, p. 113.</ref> His efforts led to calls for him to start taking his bowling seriously, instead of simply jogging in releasing the ball. Despite this, Australia lost the match.<Ref name="p114">Perry, p. 114.</ref>
During June, there was speculation that Miller's squadron would be deployed to [[Burma]] to fight against Japan, so the airmen continued their drills.<Ref name="p115">Perry, p. 115.</ref> During the period, Miller earned the ire of his CO by flying unauthorised leisure flights. Not wanting to fly tour flights over Germany, Miller once lodged bogus reports saying that the Mosquitoes were malfunctioning, causing unnecessary maintenance work.<ref>Perry, pp. 116–117.</ref> Thus, the CO ordered Miller to take his plane instead, which caught fire in mid-flight. With one functional engine, Miller came back to the air base and bellylanded. The fuselage and one of the wings was broken off and the plane became engulfed in flames, but Miller escaped physical injury.<ref>Perry, pp. 118–119.</ref>
The next day, Miller headed to Lord's to play for the RAAF against the South of England. Chasing 208, Miller scored an unbeaten 78 in 95 minutes, but rain washed out the match.<Ref name="p120">Perry, p. 120.</ref> In the Third Victory Test at Lord's,<Ref name="p121">Perry, p. 121.</ref> Miller was only Hassett's sixth-choice bowler. This time he measured out a run up. Miller struck [[John Dewes]] before uprooting his off stump. He then bowled [[Donald Carr]] and removed Hutton's off and middle stump. He ended with 3/44.<Ref>Perry, pp. 122–123.</ref> Miller was rewarded with the new ball in the second innings. He bowled Dewes for a duck with an outswinger, before later bowling Edrich and [[Dick Pollard]] to end with 3/42.<Ref name="p124"/> This left Australia a target of 225. Miller came into bat at 3/104 and saw Australia to the target, unbeaten on 71.<Ref name="p124">Perry, p. 124.</ref>
In a match against [[Yorkshire County Cricket Club|Yorkshire]], Miller struck 111 when none of the team-mates passed 30.<Ref name="p124"/> The next day, he scored 75 in 83 minutes against [[Sunderland cricket team|Sunderland]] for the RAAF.<Ref name="p125">Perry, p. 125.</ref> In the Fourth Test, again at Lord's, Miller scored 118 in the first innings,<Ref name="p126">Perry, p. 126.</ref> before an unbeaten 25 in the second innings ensured Australia avoided defeat.<Ref name="p127">Perry, p. 127.</ref> The public reception towards the Victory Tests resulted in a fifth match being added to the schedule.<ref name="p128">Perry, p. 128.</ref>
In the meantime Japan had surrendered, and No. 169 Squadron was disbanded. Miller had spent around 550 hours in the air with the RAF, to whom his RAAF unit had been seconded. He was awarded the 1939–45 Star, France and Germany Star, Defence Medal, War medal 1939–45, Australia Service Medal 1939–45 and Returned From Active Service Badge.<ref name="p128"/>
In the Fifth Victory Test, Australia had collapsed to 4/66 under overcast conditions when Miller came to the crease. Against a swinging and seaming ball, Miller struck 14 from the first over that he faced and went on to finish 77 not out in a display that featured strong cutting and driving as Australia could manage only 173.<ref>Perry, pp. 130–131.</ref> He took one wicket with the ball but managed only four in the second innings as England squared the series 2–2.<ref>Perry, pp. 131–132.</ref> Hassett wrote at the end of the series that "This is cricket as it should be. . .let's have no more talk of "war" in cricket".<ref name="p132"/> Miller topped the batting averages for the series, with 443 runs at 63.28. His aggregate exceeded that of Hammond and Hutton. Miller also took 10 wicket at 27.70.<Ref name="p132"/> Of Miller's batting, Hassett said that "as a strokeplayer he is second to none".<ref name="p132">Perry, p. 132.</ref>
The last big match of the season was a one off match at Lord's between England and Dominions, a combined team of players from the British Commonwealth. Miller managed 26 in the Dominions' first innings of 307, before cutting loose in the second innings. After settling in, he hit [[Eric Hollies]] for two sixes. The next day, he registered his century in 115 minutes, clouting another five balls over the boundary in the morning session. In one 35-minute passage of play, he and [[Learie Constantine]] added 91 runs, before he departed for 185 from 165 minutes.<ref>Perry, pp. 132–133.</ref> The Dominions went on to win by 45 runs in a match described by ''Wisden'' as "one of the finest ever seen".<ref name="p135"/> Commenting of Miller' innings, Robertson-Glasgow said "From the moment he takes guard he plays each ball just that much below its supposed merits that scratches a bowler's pride".<ref name="p134">Perry, p. 134.</ref> Miller had enjoyed his visit to the home of cricket. In eight innings at Lord's for the season, he had scored 568 runs at 94.68 with three centuries.<ref name="p135">Perry, p. 135.</ref>
The season ended with a few more matches against various English counties. Miller struck 81 not out in a win against [[Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club|Nottinghamshire]]. In a match against he Leveson-Gower's XI, Miller struck 71 in just over an hour in an innings victory.<Ref>Perry, pp. 136–137.</ref> In matches that were given first-class status, Miller had score 725 runs at 72.50 for the season, finishing second in the averages and the aggregates.<Ref name="p137">Perry, p. 137.</ref> The success of the Australian Services team prompted the [[Foreign Minister of Australia]] [[Doc Evatt]] to ask the team to stop in [[India]] and [[Ceylon]] on their return to Australia to play in a fundraising tour for the [[Red Cross]].<Ref name="p138">Perry, p. 138.</ref>
=== Services tour of India ===
Miller, the vice-captain, almost missed the trip to India after turning up late for the voyage.<ref name="p139">Perry, p. 139.</ref> Miller scored 46 in a drawn match against [[North Zone cricket team|North Zone]] in [[Lahore]].<Ref name="p141">Perry, p. 141.</ref> Miller then led the Australians in a match against [[West Zone cricket team|West Zone]] in [[Bombay]] with Hassett being rested, top-scoring with 106 in a high-scoring draw.<Ref name="p142">Perry, p. 142.</ref> In a match against [[India national cricket team|India]], Miller took two wickets.<Ref name="p143">Perry, p. 153.</ref> At this point, with most of the team suffering from dysentery and the leadership not permitting the team to travel by air, some of the RAAF personnel felt that Hassett should be removed, with Miller as one of the candidates to replace him. This would have increased his prospects of leading Australia.<Ref>Perry, pp. 145–146.</ref> Miller refused to plot against Hassett and the dispute ended when a RAAF plane was acquired to transport the team.<Ref name="p146">Perry, p. 146.</ref>
When asked many years later by [[Michael Parkinson]], about pressure on the cricket field, Miller responded with the famous quote: "pressure is a [[Messerschmitt Bf-109|Messerschmitt]] up your arse, playing cricket is not".<Ref name="p129">Perry, p. 129.</ref><ref name="730report">{{cite news
| first = Mark
| last = Bannerman
| title = Cricket legend Keith Miller remembered: 7.30 Report
| url = http://www.abc.net.au/7.30/content/2004/s1218626.htm
| publisher = Australian Broadcasting Corporation
| date = [[2004-10-12]]
| accessdate = 2007-12-14
}}</ref>
[[Image:Compton Miller.jpg|thumb|right|Compton (l) and Miller (r)]]
The team played [[East Zone cricket team|East Zone]] in [[Calcutta]] as the city was gripped in deadly pro-independence riots.<ref name="p147">Perry, p. 147.</ref> On the final day, Miller's friend Compton, who was playing for East Zone, was nearing a century as his team closed in on victory,<Ref name="p147"/> when rioters invaded the pitch. The protest leader ran up to Compton and said: "Mr Compton, you very good player, but you must stop".<ref name="p148">Perry, p. 148.</ref><ref name="CrossfireCompton">{{cite book
|last=Miller
|first=Keith
|title=Cricket Crossfire
|year= 1956
|publisher=Oldbourne Press
|location=London
|pages= p. 77.
}}</ref> In later years, Miller would quote this remark whenever Compton came to the [[Crease (cricket)|crease]] in matches featuring both of them.<ref name="p149"/> In 2005, the [[England and Wales Cricket Board|ECB]] and [[Cricket Australia]] decided that the player adjudged the Player of the Series in [[the Ashes]] would be awarded the [[Compton-Miller Medal]], recognising their friendship and rivalry.<ref name="ECB">{{cite web
| url = http://www.ecb.co.uk/news/media-releases/compton-miller-medal-unveiled,5213,EN.html
| title = Compton-Miller Medal unveiled
| publisher = [[England and Wales Cricket Board]]
| accessdate = 2007-12-27
}}</ref>
In the second match against India, the Australian Services were 2/250 in response to India's 386 when Miller came in scored 82, including four consecutive sixes.<ref name="p149">Perry, p. 149.</ref><Ref name="p150">Perry, p. 150.</ref> The match ended in a draw. Miller took 3/19 in a match against [[South Zone cricket team|South Zone]] in [[Chennai|Madras]], the Australians' only win on Indian soil. He failed with the bat in the third and final match against India, scoring two and seven, but he took 2/60 in the first innings as India took the series 1–0.<Ref name="p151"/> Miller had a disappointing series in the international matches, with 107 runs at 26.25 and four wickets at 40.50.<Ref name="p151">Perry, p. 151.</ref> Australia's final match was in [[Colombo]] against an All Ceylon team. Miller scored 132 as Australia won by an innings.<Ref name="p151"/>
=== Services in Australia ===
Upon returning to Australia, Hassett's men were informed that they were to play a further six first-class matches against the state teams. Miller was tired but the fixtures were meant to revive cricket following the war and were also used as a lead-up to the international tour to [[New Zealand]] in March 1946.<ref name="p157">Pollard, p. 157.</ref>
Miler started his campaign for Test selection when the servicemen arrived in Perth and played against [[Western Warriors|Western Australia]]. Miller put in his best batting performance of the season with an 80 in a drawn match, before being rested against South Australia.<ref name="p157"/> Miller finally returned to Melbourne on January to meet family before taking on Victoria.<ref name="p160">Perry, p. 160.</ref> Miller top-scored in both innings with 37 and 59 as the military men fell to an innings defeat.<ref name="p161">Perry, p. 161.</ref> Miller and the servicemen had another difficult time against [[New South Wales Blues|New South Wales]], as they made 7/551 and Miller went wicketless.<ref name="p161"/>
Miller was pitted against leg spinner [[Bill O'Reilly (cricketer)|Bill O’Reilly]] and paceman [[Ray Lindwall]], the fastest in Australia.<ref name="p162">Perry, p. 162.</ref> Miller was on 74 as Services limped to 9/171. With only one partner left, Miller attacked and scored 31 of the last 33 runs, ending with an unbeaten 105, and earning plaudits among cricket pundits on Australian soil.<ref name="p162"/> Former leading Test batsman [[Alan Kippax]] opined that "Australia has unearthed a new champion",<ref name="p163">Perry, p. 163.</ref> while O'Reilly said that Miller’s century was "one of the best hundreds ever got against me".<ref name="p163"/> Miller compiled 46 in the second innings as the Servicemen fell to another innings defeat. Miller finished the season with 4/49 in against [[Queensland Bulls|Queensland]] and a pair of fifties against Tasmania.<ref name="p163"/>
== Test debut ==
[[Image:Miller on drive.jpg|thumb|200px|left|Miller plays an on drive for Victoria]]
At the end of the season, Miller was selected for the New Zealand tour, under the captaincy of Queensland’s [[Bill Brown (cricketer)|Bill Brown]].<ref name="p166">Perry, p. 166.</ref> Miller started the tour well, top-scoring with 139 against [[Auckland cricket team|Auckland]].<ref name="p167">Perry, p. 167.</ref> Along with seven other debutants,<ref name="onetest">{{cite web|url=http://content-aus.cricinfo.com/ci/engine/match/62661.html|publisher=[[Cricinfo]]|accessdate=2007-11-28|title=Only Test: New Zealand vs Australia at Wellington, March 29-30, 1946}}</ref> Miller made his Test debut in the match against [[New Zealand cricket team|New Zealand]] at the [[Basin Reserve]] in [[Wellington]], a match that was retrospectively accorded Test status in 1948.<ref name="p168">Perry, p. 168.</ref> On a [[sticky wicket]], New Zealand won the toss and batted. Miller was not required to bowl in the first innings as O'Reilly and the medium-pace of [[Ernie Toshack]] skittled the home side for 42.<ref name="p168"/> Australia made 8/199 with Miller scoring 30. He was allowed to take the new ball in the second innings with Lindwall,<ref name="p169">Perry, p. 169.</ref> starting a new ball partnership that was regarded as one of the finest of all time.{{Fact|date=December 2007}} Miller took 2/6 in six overs before a flare-up of his back injury forced him to be removed from the attack. Australia bowled their hosts out for 54, securing an innings victory.<ref name="p170">Perry, p. 170.</ref>
[[Image:Miller SK.jpg|thumb|left|Miller, in the vertically-striped jumper, playing for St Kilda]]
Miller returned from New Zealand to play in what turned out to be his last season in the VFL, in 1946. He was immediately recalled to the St Kilda's first team, which cam second last.<ref name="p174">Perry, p. 174.</ref> Miller played with more aggression than his pre-war years, as contact sport had now become trivial compared to war. His high leaping marks were a noted feature of a season that saw him chosen for the Victorian team to play South Australia. Miller became one of the few players to play at the highest levels of both cricket and Australian rules football.<ref name="p175">Perry, p. 175.</ref>
[[Image:Miller V.jpg|right|thumb|Miller sporting a cut nose during a football match]]
Miller was discharged from the RAAF on [[June 26]], [[1946]],<ref name="p175"/> and returned to his job at Vacuum Oil, something which he resented. Miller was upset that many of his colleagues had avoided the hazards of war and moved steadily up the ladder and regarded his job as demeaning.<ref name="p176">Perry, p. 176.</ref> Under such circumstances, Miller contemplated quitting Australian cricket and accepting a contract from [[Rawtenstall Cricket Club|Rawtenstall]] in the [[Lancashire League (cricket)|Lancashire League]], valued at £1,000 per year for three seasons. With advertising and commercial commitments, this could triple his annual income, approximately ten times more lucrative than his income playing in Australia.<ref name="p176"/> On the flipside, Miller was worried that his impulsive nature and style could be curtailed by the pressures of professional performance. Miller was almost 27 and his contract would see him in England until he was 30, effectively ending his career for Australia. Furthermore, it would have prevented him from playing Australian football during the winter.<ref name="p177">Perry, p. 177</ref> Despite this, Miller was feeling glum about his job in Melbourne, and signed the contract that tied him to Rawtenstall starting in April 1947.<ref name="p178">Perry, p. 178.</ref>
[[Image:Miller family.JPG|Miller and his family|thumb]]
In the meantime, Miller had the upcoming Test series against England in 1946–47 to look forward to. He also approached his employers for two months leave so that he could travel to the [[United States]] to get married to Wagner. They refused, so Miller resigned his job.<ref name="p178"/> Miller left Australia at the end of the football season in late August, amid press speculation that he might not return.<ref name="p179">Perry, p. 179.</ref> Miller was reunited in Boston with Wagner after more than three years of separation and they married on [[September 21]], [[1946]]. Miller and his new bride returned to Australia in October. In the meantime, his contract with Rawtenstall became public news and he was threatened with his Test career being terminated. The Board of Control’s policy stipulated that any player that signed with a professional league in England could not represent Australia.<ref name="p180">Perry, p. 180.</ref>
== First Ashes series ==
{{main|Keith Miller in the 1946-47 Australian cricket season}}
Miller's season started with a match against [[Wally Hammond]]’s touring Englishmen for Victoria amid speculation about whether he would fulfil his contract with Rawtenstall. Miller remained silent.<ref name="p182">Perry, p. 182.</ref> Miller was selected for an Australian XI fixture against the tourists prior to the Test series, but made only five and bowled only four overs.<ref name="p182"/> In a Shield match in front of Bradman at the [[Adelaide Oval]], Miller struck form with 188.<ref name="p184">Perry, p. 184.</ref> He went on to take 2/32 with the ball and was back in form. Bradman saw Miller as a top-order batsman and as his new ball partner for Lindwall, although Miller was a reluctant bowler. Bradman felt that Miller was crucial to his strategy of attacking England’s strong batting line-up with high pace.<ref name="p185">Perry, p. 185.</ref>
Miller made his Ashes debut the day after his 29th birthday in the First Test in [[Brisbane]]. Miller was slated to bat at No. 5 and Bradman fielded six front-line bowlers.<ref name="p186">Perry, p. 186.</ref> Australia batted first with Miller coming in at 3/322. He played aggressively to reach his fifty in just 80 minutes before lunch. He struck one onto the roof of the members' stand at long-on, the biggest hit at the ground at the time. Miller slowed down and was trapped [[leg before wicket]] by [[Doug Wright]], ending his first Test innings at 79.<ref name="p188">Perry, p. 188.</ref> Australia reached 645 on the third day before a tropical storm hit. Miller was given the new ball along with Lindwall and he took his first Ashes wicket, bowling Hutton as England closed at 1/21. The following day, the pitch had turned into a sticky wicket. Miller bowled at medium pace with off breaks and mixed in a large amount of [[bouncer (cricket)|bouncers]].<ref name="p189">Perry, p. 189.</ref> On the uneven surface, Edrich was struck around 40 times on the body. Miller cut down the English top order, removing Edrich, Washbrook, Compton and [[Jack Ikin]] on the fourth morning to leave England at 5/56. Miller went on to finish at 7/60 as England made 141 and were forced to [[follow on]]. Miller removed Hutton with first ball of the innings as England fell to defeat by an innings and 334 runs. Miller ended with match figures of 9/77.<ref name="p191">Perry, p. 191.</ref><ref name="testlist">{{cite web|url=http://stats.cricinfo.com/statsguru/engine/player/6612.html?class=1;template=results;type=allround;view=innings |publisher=[[Cricinfo]] |title=Statsguru - KR Miller - Test matches - All-round analysis |accessdate=2008-07-09}}</ref><ref name="p191"/> Miller continued to the Second Test in [[Sydney]], where he had a quiet match, scoring 40 and taking one wicket on a spin-friendly pitch as Australia took another innings victory.<ref name="testlist"/><ref name="p192">Perry, p. 192.</ref>
Miller saved his best batting for the Shield clash with arch-rivals New South Wales after the Second Test. He hammered three sixes from one over and made 153 in a 271-run partnership with [[Merv Harvey]] in just over three hours, setting up an innings victory. Miller’s childhood hero [[Bill Ponsford]] said that it was the hardest hitting he had ever seen.<ref name="p194">Perry, p. 194.</ref> The Third Test was Miller’s first in front of his home town. He had a mediocre game in a drawn match, scoring 33 and 34, and taking two wickets.<ref>Perry, pp. 195–196.</ref> Miller’s continued to be dogged by the Rawtenstall issue, having privately decided that he would not go through with the deal. In the meantime, he secretly accepted an offer from the manager of [[North Sydney Cricket Club|North Sydney]], to relocate to Sydney to work as a liquor salesman and play cricket.<ref name="p197">Perry, p. 197.</ref> Back in a good frame of mind for the Fourth Test in Adelaide, Miller took a wicket in each innings,<ref name="testlist"/> but he shone with the bat. After England had made 460, Miller came in at 3/207 late on the second day.<Ref name="p198"/>
He hooked the first ball of the third morning into the crowd to move to 39. He quickly accumulated another 61 runs in 71 minutes to reach his maiden Test century. Miller did not open up after reaching triple figures, as wickets fell around him and the Englishmen utilised [[leg theory]] to prevent scoring. As the tail fell apart, Miller accelerated again, launching drives into the crowd as England stationed four men on the fence. Miller ended unbeaten on 141 and the match petered into a high-scoring draw.<ref name="p198">Perry, p. 198.</ref> Before the last Test, Miller played for Victoria against England, taking 4/65, his best bowling since the First Test.<ref name="p199">Perry, p. 199.</ref>
The Fifth Test saw Miller take a wicket in either innings, leaving Australia with a target 214 runs on a wearing wicket. McCool joined Miller after the loss of 3/21 in quick succession with Australia at 5/180.<ref name="p200">Perry, p. 200.</ref> Wright then beat Miller with three consecutive leg breaks, before he struck back against [[Alec Bedser]] with consecutive boundaries and together with McCool saw Australia to the target.<ref name="p201">Perry, p. 201.</ref> Australia had taken the series 3–0, with Miller scoring 384 runs at 76.80 and took 16 wickets at 20.88, which placed him second in both batting and bowling to Bradman and Lindwall respectively.<ref name="p201"/> Nevertheless, Miller did not enjoy himself as much as during the Victory Tests and became disillusioned with Bradman's ruthless mentality. Miller was impulsive and cared little for records or ruthlessly dominating his opponents, preferring to play in a flamboyant manner in close contests.<ref name="p193">Perry, p. 193.</ref>
== Move to New South Wales ==
[[Image:Miller Morris.jpg|right|Miller and Morris walk out to bat for New South Wales|thumb]]
For the 1947–48 season, Miller transferred to the [[New South Wales Blues|New South Wales (NSW) team]] and played the remainder of his Sheffield Shield career with them.
Miller had a light workload in the 1947–48 home Test series against [[India national cricket team|India]],<ref name="p219">Perry, p. 219.</ref> who were on their first tour to Australia.{{Fact|date=June 2008}} India were unable to threaten Australia and lost 4–0; all the defeats by an innings. He was only required to bat once in each Test, accumulating 185 runs at 37.00 with two half-centuries,<ref name="testlist"/> while the batsmen ahead of him plundered the bowling.<ref name="p219"/> His bowling duties were also light; Bradman only summoned him for a total of 72 overs, yielding nine wickets at 24.78. His heaviest workload was a total of 18 overs in the Fourth Test, taking combined figures of 3/52.<ref name="testlist"/>
==Invincibles ==
{{main|Keith Miller with the Australian cricket team in England in 1948}}
{{seealso|Australian cricket team in England in 1948|1948 Ashes series}}
He was a key member of [[Donald Bradman]]'s famous [[Australian cricket team in England in 1948|Invincibles]] touring party, undefeated on its tour of England in [[1948]]. Miller started the ''Invincibles'' tour strongly, scoring a hard-hitting 50 not out against [[Worcestershire County Cricket Club|Worcestershire]], before an unbeaten 202 from five and a half hours against [[Leicestershire County Cricket Club|Leicestershire]].<ref name="p224">Perry, p. 224.</ref> The next match against [[Yorkshire County Cricket Club|Yorkshire]] allowed Australia to battle Hutton and try to get a psychological edge before the Tests. Miller removed him for five; he finished with 6/42 as the home team were rolled for 71. Australia managed to make 101, including a counterattacking 34 from Miller. Miller then took 3/49 in the second innings in an Australian victory.<ref name="p225">Perry, p. 225.</ref>
Miller was involved in a famous incident in the next match against [[Essex County Cricket Club|Essex]]. Australia had already piled up 2/364 when Miller came to the crease midway through the first day. Miller deliberately let the first ball from [[Trevor Bailey]] hit the stumps, much to Bradman's displeasure.<ref name="p226">Perry, p. 226.</ref> Miller was making a protest against the one-sided nature of the contest, as Australia set a world-record of 721 runs in one day.<ref name="p227">Perry, p. 227.</ref>
In the lead-up to the Tests, Australia took on the [[Marylebone Cricket Club]] (MCC) at [[Lord's]]; effectively a dress rehearsal for the Tests as many of England's Test players were in the MCC team.<Ref name="p228">Perry, p. 228.</ref> Miller scored 163 in 250 minutes of batting, hitting 20 fours and three sixes.<Ref name="p228"/> Soon after, Rawtenstall dropped the contract dispute with Miller after being offered compensation.<Ref name="p230">Perry, p. 230.</ref>
In a match against [[Hampshire County Cricket Club|Hampshire]], Australia was in trouble after the hosts had scored 195 and Australia had fallen to 8/63 on a [[sticky wicket]]. Miller's top score of 39 was part of counterattack that saw Australia recover to 117.<ref name="p232">Perry, p. 232.</ref> This left the county with a 77-run lead on the first innings, but Miller rose to the challenge again, taking 5/25 in the second to ensure that Australia's target would be gettable.<Ref name="p233">Perry, p. 233.</ref>
Miller set the tone for Australia on the first morning of the First Test at [[Trent Bridge]]. He bowled Hutton and Compton, helping Australia to seize the initiative. England were bowled out for 165 and Miller had 3/38. Miller scored a duck, but Australia took a 344-run lead on the first innings.<Ref name="p235"/> He removed Washbrook for one at the start of England's second innings, and then continued his battle with Hutton and Compton, delivering five bouncers in the last over of the day.<Ref name="p235"/> The batsmen survived, but Miller received a hostile reaction from the crowd. The next day, he bowled Hutton for 74 and then wrong-footed Compton with a bouncer. Compton fell onto his stumps and was out for 184. Miller ended with 4/125 for the innings and 7/163 for the match,<Ref name="testlist"/> having removed England's two leading batsmen in both innings and bowled 63 overs with Lindwall injured.<Ref name="testlist"/><Ref name="p235">Perry, p. 235.</ref> Australia went on to win by eight wickets,<Ref>Perry, pp. 236–238.</ref> and Miller was not required to bat.<ref name="testlist"/> Between Tests, Miller scored 113 while opening against Yorkshire.<Ref name="p238">Perry, p. 238.</ref>
[[Image:Bsb48052.jpg|left|thumb|The 1948 "Invincibles" ''en route'' to England. Miller is the partially-obscured figure, standing with his hands on the shoulders of the man in front ([[Lindsay Hassett]]).]]
Miller was unfit to bowl during the Second Test at Lord's.<Ref name="p239">Perry, p. 239.</ref> He was out for four in the first innings, not offering a shot to an [[inswinger]].<ref name="p240">Perry, p. 240.</ref> During England's first innings, Bradman threw Miller the ball, hoping that he would reverse his decision not to bowl. Miller refused and returned the ball, citing his back. Miller's action generated news headlines, with journalists believing that he had disobeyed Bradman.<Ref name="p240"/>
Miller came to the crease in the second innings with English captain [[Norman Yardley]] was on a [[hat-trick#cricket|hat-trick]], having removed [[Lindsay Hassett]] first ball. Miller survived a loud [[leg before wicket]] appeal on the hat-trick ball. He then hit a six into the grandstand and was eventually out for 74. Australia declared at 7/460, 595 runs ahead.<ref name="p241">Perry, p. 241.</ref> He took three catches, including a diving effort to remove Compton, as Australia won by 409 runs.<Ref>Perry, pp. 240–241.</ref>
After the end of the Lord's Test, Miller returned to the team hotel after daybreak on the next morning after a late night out.<Ref name="p242">Perry, p. 242.</ref> Australia were due to play [[Surrey County Cricket Club|Surrey]] at [[The Oval]] on the same day. Australia fielded and Bradman sent Miller to field on the fine leg boundary as a punishment. Between overs, Miller had to walk to the opposite end of the field for the bowler from the other end. One of the spectators felt sorry for Miller and lent his bicycle, which Miller used to cycle around the edge of the ground at the end of each over.<Ref name="p242"/> Miller had a quite period on the field during July, and was noted more for his celebrity appearances rather than his cricket.<Ref name="p242"/>
The efforts of Miller and Lindwall against Hutton had led the English selectors to drop the Yokshireman for the Third Test. The Australians were surprised by the move and thought that it was a bad move by their opponents.<Ref>Perry, pp. 242–243.</ref> Miller had a quiet Third Test at [[Old Trafford]], taking one wicket and scoring 31 as the match ended in a draw.<Ref name="testlist"/> In a rain-shortened match, Miller again earned the ire of the crowd, after aiming a series of bouncers at Edrich, in apparent retaliation to the Englishman's bouncing of Lindwall.<ref name="p243">Perry, p. 243.</ref> He struck Edrich on the body before Bradman ordered him to stop.<Ref name="p244">Perry, p. 244.</ref> In another incident was late to return to the field after a rain delay, instead concentrating on a poker match with his English colleagues.<ref name="p243"/> He won, pocketed the money, brandishing it to the crowd and taunting his English colleagues as he ran onto the field.<Ref name="p243">Perry, p. 243.</ref>
The teams moved to [[Headingley]] for the Fourth Test at [[Leeds]]. Hutton had been recalled and the home team batted first. England tallied 496 and Miller took 1/43. In reply, Australia were struggling at 3/68 in reply on the third morning. [[Neil Harvey]], playing his first Ashes Test, joined Miller at the crease.<Ref name="p245">Perry, p. 245.</ref> The pair launched a counterattack, with Miller taking the lead. He hoisted [[Jim Laker]]'s first ball over square leg for six. Miller struck consecutive sixes over long off and the [[List of cricket terms#S|sightscreen]] respectively. This allowed Australia to seize the initiative; Harvey joined in and hit consecutive boundaries against Laker. Miller then lifted another six over [[Fielding (cricket)#Fielding position names and locations|long off]], and another over [[Fielding (cricket)#Fielding position names and locations|long on]] from [[Norman Yardley]]. He was dismissed for 58 attempting another six.<Ref name="p246">Perry, p. 246.</ref> The partnership had yielded 121 runs in only 90 minutes, and was described by Wisden as a "hurricane".<Ref>{{cite web|title= Wisden 1954 - Neil Harvey|url=http://content-aus.cricinfo.com/australia/content/story/154608.html| publisher=[[Wisden]] |year=1954|accessdate=2007-06-06}}</ref> [[John Arlott]] described the innings as the most memorable that he had witnessed.<ref name="p246"/> He said "Miller played like an emperor . . . Every stroke would have been memorable but each one had bettered its predecessor".<Ref name="p247">Perry, p. 247.</ref> The momentum swung and Australia finished at 457 on the fourth day, having added almost 396 in one day's play.<ref name="p247"/><ref name="sco4">{{cite web| title = 4th Test England v Australia at Leeds Jul 22-27 1948|url=http://content-aus.cricinfo.com/ci/engine/match/62688.html|publisher= [[Cricinfo]]|accessdate=2007-12-12}}</ref> Miller took 1/53 in the second innings as Australia were set a world record chase of 404 on the final day. He made only 12 but Australia broke the world record to take a 3–0 lead.<Ref name="p247"/><Ref name="testlist"/>
The Australians moved onto the next match against [[Derbyshire County Cricket Club|Derbyshire]], where Miller scored a half-century and took 3/31 in an innings victory.<Ref name="p247"/> Against [[Glamorgan County Cricket Club|Glamorgan]], Miller took two wickets before striking a hard-hitting 84 with five sixes. He struck one of the sixes with one hand, sending it 20 rows into the crowd.<Ref name="p248"/> In a match against [[Lancashire County Cricket Club|Lancashire]],<Ref name="p248">Perry, p. 248.</ref> [[Jack Ikin]] had reached 99 despite being repeatedly hit. Miller refused to bowl to Ikin, saying that he felt the batsman deserved a century. Lindwall was given the ball and promptly removed Ikin for 99.<Ref name="p249"/> Miller then scored 55 in faster than even time against [[Durham County Cricket Club|Durham]] before the Fifth Test.<ref name="p249"/>
The teams proceeded to [[The Oval]] for the Fifth Test. After England elected to bat,<Ref name="p249">Perry, p. 249.</ref> Miller bowled [[John Dewes]] with his second ball and then removed [[Jack Crapp]] without scoring, leaving England at 4/23. Miller ended with 2/5 as Lindwall (6/20) cut down the home team for 52. In his last Test innings for the summer, Miller scored five.<ref name="p250">Perry, p. 250.</ref> Australia led by 337 on the first innings and Miller dismissed Hutton and Crapp to end with 2/22 as Australia won by an innings and took a 4–0 series win.<Ref name="p251">Perry, p. 251.</ref>
Miller ended the Tests with 184 runs at 26.28 and 13 wickets at 23.15. He took eight catches.<Ref name="testlist"/><ref name="p251"/>
In a match against the [[History of English amateur cricket#Amateurism in cricket|Gentlemen of England]] at [[Lord's]],<ref name="p251"/> Miller scored 69 and was dismissed attempting a third consecutive [[Batting (cricket)#Types of batting shots|hooked]] boundary.<Ref name="p252">Perry, p. 252.</ref> Australia went through the remaining tour matches unbeaten to end the summer without a defeat.
After the tour, Bradman was full of praise for Miller, though somewhat critical of his aggressive batting: {{quote|One of the most volatile cricketers of any age. Long, rangy, athletic type—drove the ball with tremendous power—tried to hit sixes with abandon. Many of them would have been prodigious. Would have been a far better player had he curbed this propensity and showed more judgement in his hitting. Dangerous bowler with the new ball, swinging it both ways not much short of [Ray] Lindwall's speed. [...] In 1948 he was the best slip field in the world. Altogether, a crowd-pleasing personality ... whose limitations were caused mainly by his own failure to concentrate.|Don Bradman|<ref name="FarewellToCricket">Bradman, p. 225.</ref>}} <!--In his analysis of the tour, Bradman praised Miller for his new ball bowling, swinging the ball both ways at pace and judging him as the best slips catcher in the world.<Ref name="p255"/> However, Bradman criticised Miller's hitting of sixes (26),<Ref name="p255">Perry, p. 255.</ref> feeling the Miller had lacked restraint and concentration.<Ref name="p256"/> --> Miller totalled 2,088 runs for the tour, second only to Bradman although his average of 47.30 was only the eighth highest in the squad. He took 56 wickets at 17.58 and held onto 20 catches.<Ref name="p256">Perry, p. 256.</ref>
== Omission for South Africa ==
After returning to Australia, Miller played against Bradman in the latter's testimonial match in 1948–49. Miller bowled three consecutive bouncers at Bradman, dismissing him with the last of the short-pitched deliveries for 53.<ref name="p261">Perry, p. 261.</ref> Bradman was angered by Miller's bowling.<ref name="p261"/> One week later, the squad to tour [[South Africa]] in the following season was announced, and Miller was omitted, despite being ranked as the best all rounder in the world.<ref name="p262">Perry, p. 262.</ref> During the Australian season, which was a purely domestic one, he had scored 400 runs at 33.33 and taken 11 wickets at 24.09.<ref name="p262"/> He scored one century against Queensland during the season, as well as a 99 against Victoria at the SCG.<ref name="p263">Perry, p. 263.</ref> The surprise omission led to much conjecturing about the reasoning. One was that Miller had stated during the season that he did not want to bowl, so the selectors only considered his batting performances.<ref name="p263"/> Another was that Miller's bouncing of Bradman had provoked his former captain into voting against him at the selection table. Another was that [[Jack Ryder]], the Victorian selector and former Australian captain, had voted against Miller in retaliation for his move to New South Wales.<ref>Perry, pp. 263–264.</ref>
The media stridently criticised Miller's omission. During the off season, he worked as a journalist and played [[baseball]],<ref name="p264">Perry, p. 264.</ref> but declined a trial with [[Major League Baseball]] club, the [[Boston Red Sox]].<ref name="p265">Perry, p. 265.</ref> Miller captained New South Wales at the start of the 1949–50 season as his colleagues went to South Africa, his first leadership experience in the Sheffield Shield.<ref name="p265"/> He scored 80 and took six wickets in the first match against Queensland. After another victory over Western Australia, he received a request from the Australian Board of Control. At the request of captain Hassett, Miller was asked to tour South Africa as cover for Johnston, who had been injured in a car crash.<ref name="p266">Perry, p. 266.</ref> Miller accepted the offer and resigned himself to bowling heavily.<ref name="p267">Perry, p. 267.</ref> Miller almost missed the trip after arriving late at the dock in [[Perth, Western Australia|Perth]] after a drunken night. The next boat to South Africa would not have departed for several weeks.<ref>Perry, pp. 267–268.</ref>
Miller was given the responsibility of batting in the [[batting order (cricket)|number three]] position when Hassett was afflicted by [[tonsillitis]].<ref name="p270">Perry, p. 270.</ref> In the First Test at [[Johannesburg]], Miller scored 21 and then took 5/40 in South Africa's first innings, resulting in the home side being forced to follow on and lose by an innings.<ref name="testlist"/> In the Second Test at [[Cape Town]], he scored 58 and then took 3/54 in the first innings.<ref name="p271">Perry, p. 271.</ref> On the third morning, Miller crashed his car and arrived late to the ground, still putting on his trousers as he entered the playing field. Despite, this he dismissed [[Dudley Nourse]] with his third ball.<ref name="p272">Perry, p. 272.</ref> He was wicketless in the second innings, and took only one in the Third Test in [[Durban]] and did not pass 10 with the bat.<ref name="testlist"/> Australia won both matches.<ref name="p278">Perry, p. 278.</ref> He returned to the form in the Fourth Test with 84, 33 not out and 3/75 in a high scoring draw.<ref name="testlist"/><ref name="p279">Perry, p. 279.</ref> Miller took match figures of 5/66 in the Fifth Test as Australia took the series 4–0. He ended the series with 246 runs at 41.00 and 17 wickets at 22.94,<ref name="testlist"/> placing in the top six in the Test averages for bat and ball.<ref name="p281">Perry, p. 281.</ref> During the tour matches, he took match figures of 11/54 against Natal Country Districts and scored a century against [[Transvaal cricket team|Transvaal]].<ref>Perry, pp. 273, 280.</ref>
== Ashes in Australia ==
[[Image:AusCricketTeam1950.jpg|thumb|The Australian Test cricket team for the first Test against England in the 1950–51 Ashes series. Miller is front row, far right.]]
Miller started the 1950–51 season with an unbeaten 201 in a Shield match against Queensland. At 438 minutes, it was his longest first-class innings.<Ref name="p285">Perry, p. 285.</ref> In the return match, he scored 138 not out in just 118 minutes in a successful run-chase, a sharp contrast to his double-century.<Ref name="p286">Perry, p. 286.</ref> In a tour match against the visiting England team at the SCG before the Test series, Miller scored 214, having been 99 not out at stumps on the previous day.<Ref name="p287">Perry, p. 287.</ref> However, he made ducks in consecutive matches leading into the First Test.<Ref>Perry, pp. 288–290.</ref> Miller scored 15 and eight, and took match figures of 3/50 in an Australian victory, dismissing Dewes twice.<Ref>Perry, pp. 290–291.</ref> <Ref name="testlist"/> He had another quiet match in the Second Test, scoring 18 and 14 and taking a match total of 2/55.<Ref name="testlist"/><ref>Perry, pp. 293–294.</ref> After struggling in the first two Tests, Miller rediscovered his batting form with 98 against the tourists for New South Wales.<Ref name="p294">Perry, p. 294.</ref>
England had started the Third Test at Sydney strongly. Australia took its first wicket when Miller caught Washbrook from Johnson with a horizontal diving catch at slip. England were still in control at 1/128 when Miller came on to bowl.<Ref name="p295">Perry, p. 295.</ref> He removed Hutton and [[Reg Simpson]] before bowling Compton for a duck. In the space of four overs from Miller, England were now 4/137. Miller had contributed to all four wickets.<Ref name="p296"/> Miller ended with 4/37 as England were bowled out for 290 on the second day. Miller batted patiently on the third day, reaching 96 by stumps with Australia at 6/362. The next day, with his century four runs away, Miller arrived late, leaving his batting partner Johnson waiting at the players' gate.<Ref name="p296">Perry, p. 296.</ref> Miller progressed to 145 not out despite the interruption. It has been a patient innings by his standards, taking almost a day.<Ref name="p296"/> England collapsed for 123, leaving Australia to take an innings victory.<Ref>Perry, pp. 296–297.</ref> In the first innings of the Fourth Test in Sydney, Miller scored 44 and did not take a wicket, but he was heading for consecutive Test centuries. He reached 99 when a [[leg break]] from [[Doug Wright]] spun across him and clipped the off [[bail (cricket)|bail]].<ref name="p299">Perry, p. 299.</ref> The innings helped Australia to set England a target of 502. Miller took 3/27 on the final day, helping to cut through the middle order as Australia won by 274 runs.<ref name="p300">Perry, p. 300.</ref> Miller was out for seven and a duck in the Fifth Test at the MCG. He took 4/76 in the first innings as England won by eight wickets. Miller topped the Test batting averages with 350 runs at 43.75, and for the entire first-class season, he scored 1332 runs at 78.35, the highest among all comers.<ref name="p300"/> His bowling was also strong, with 17 wickets at 17.70, second only to [[Jack Iverson]] (21 wickets at 15.23). However, an attack by Morris and Miller in a Shield match dispirited Iverson, and he never played Test cricket again.<ref name="p301">Perry, p. 301.</ref>
== West Indies tour Australia ==
The 1951–52 Australian season saw the first tour by a [[West Indies cricket team|West Indian team]] in two decades. The Caribbean team had beaten England 3–1 in 1950 and were regarded as the biggest threat to Australia since ''[[Bodyline]]''.<Ref name="p303">Perry, p. 303.</ref> The batting was led by the "three Ws": [[Everton Weekes]], [[Frank Worrell]] and [[Clyde Walcott]]. The English had also been bamboozled by the [[leg spin]] and [[left arm orthodox]] of [[Sonny Ramadhin]] and [[Alf Valentine]], who took 59 wickets between them in four Tests against England.<Ref name="p303"/> Miller and Lindwall were charged with attacking the opposition batsmen, testing them with short-pitched bowling.<Ref>Perry, pp. 304–306.</ref> The West Indies batted first in the First Test at Brisbane and were dismissed for 216; Miller dismissing their captain [[John Goddard]].<ref name="p306">Perry, p. 306.</ref> Miller came to the crease at 3/80 and could not pick Ramadhin. He decided to attack the leg spinner without picking him. He missed some, was dropped twice and hit a six before falling for 46 to Valentine. Australia scraped out a 10-run lead.<ref>Perry, pp. 306–307.</ref> Miller took another wicket in the second innings but managed only four as Australia stumbled to a three-wicket victory.<Ref name="p307"/> Between Tests, Miller took eight wickets in the match as New South Wales beat the tourists in a tour match. In the Second Test at Sydney, Miller came to the crease at 3/106 having gone wicketless in the West Indies' first innings of 362.<Ref name="p307">Perry, p. 307.</ref> He began to pick Ramadhin and finished with 129 in 246 minutes. The leg spinner ended with 1/196 and was demoralised. In the second innings, he took 3/50 and two catches to help Australia to a seven-wicket victory.<Ref>Perry, pp. 308–309.</ref> ''Wisden'' decried Lindwall and Miller's "relentless bumper tactics".<Ref name="p309"/>
Miller had a lean Third Test, taking only one wicket and scoring four and 35,<Ref name="testlist"/> as Australia lost by six wickets.<Ref name="p309">Perry, p. 309.</ref> In the Fourth Test at the MCG, the West Indies batted first and Miller removed both openers in the first hour, before returning to end with 5/60 as the tourists were bowled out for 272. He then scored 47 as Australia managed only 216. He took 2/49, but only scored two in Australia's run-chase of 259. The home team won by one wicket.<ref name="p310">Perry, p. 310.</ref><Ref name="testlist"/> In the Fifth Test, Miller took 5/26 in the first innings and then scored 69 in the second innings. He took two further wickets in the second innings as Australia fell short of their target.<ref name="testlist"/> Miller ended the series as the leading bowler, with 20 wickets at 19.90. He was second in the batting, with 362 runs at 40.22.<ref name="p311">Perry, p. 311.</ref>
After the Test series ended, Miller captained a Commonwealth XI that played against a touring England team in [[Colombo]], [[Sri Lanka|Ceylon]]. England had been on a tour of the [[Indian subcontinent]]. Miller scored 106 as the Commonwealth compiled 517. Miller took three wickets in the first innings and led his team to a victory by an innings and 259 runs.<Ref>Perry, pp. 312–313.</ref>
== Captain of New South Wales ==
[[Image:Sid Barnes, Adelaide Oval 1952.jpg|thumb|Sid Barnes, dressed in suit and tie and carrying a range of toiletry items. This incident was said to be held against Miller when the Australian Board of Control considered Hassett's replacement as Australian captain.]]
At the start of the 1952–53 season, the [[New South Wales Cricket Association]]'s five-man selection panel installed Miller as captain in place of Morris. This was despite Morris leading the state to the Sheffield Shield in the previous season. Miller did not lobby for the job, but the Sydney media had campaigned for Miller, suggesting that his flamboyant style would attract more spectators and help stem the financial losses of the NSWCA. Despite this, Morris remained the Test vice-captain ahead of Miller.<Ref>Perry, pp. 314–315.</ref>
In his first match as leader, Miller scored 109 against Queensland. Taking 260 minutes, it was the slowest century of his career. In another match against the touring South Africans, Miller elected to field and reduced his opponents to 3/3 and went on to win by five wickets.<Ref>Perry, pp. 315–316.</ref> His players respected him, and some began to mimic his cough, voice, gait and idiosyncrasies. [[Richie Benaud]] unbuttoned his shirt in Miller's mould.<Ref name="p316">Perry, p. 316.</ref> He captained in an unorthodox manner, often trying unusual ploys to unsettle the opposition. He encouraged the opposition to attack in an attempt to get a wicket, and often shuffled his batting order to suit the circumstances of his batsmen.<Ref name="p317">Perry, p. 317.</ref> He was soon called before authorities after a match against South Australia. Sid Barnes, his [[12th man]], had come onto the ground with drinks, dressed as a flight attendant. He also brought things such as cigars, mirrors and combs. Barnes' antics extended the break longer than usual. Miller was called before the NSWCA after the [[South Australian Cricket Association]] lodged a complaint, and had to give an assurance that such an incident would not be repeated.<Ref>Perry, pp. 318–319.</ref>
Miller started the Test series against South Africa poorly. Suffering from a throat infection,<Ref name="p320"/> he scored three in both innings and took 1/46 in an Australian victory.<Ref name="p319">Perry, p. 319.</ref> In the Second Test at the MCG, Miller performed consistently with bat and ball, taking 4/62 and 3/51 and scoring 52 and 31. In the course of the match, he passed the all-round double of 1000 Test runs and 100 Test wickets when he dismissed [[John Waite]] in the second innings, but this was not enough to prevent defeat.<Ref name="p319"/> In the Third Test, Miller scored 55 and took 3/48 and 2/33 in an innings victory.<Ref name="p320"/><Ref name="testlist"/> Australia's fortunes took a turn for the worse in the Fourth Test in Adelaide. Miller scored nine and injured his back after two overs with the ball. Lindwall also broke down.<ref name="p320">Perry, p. 320.</ref> Without their spearheads, Australia were unable to bowl out the South Africans and match was drawn. Both were ruled out of the Fifth Test and the South Africans levelled the series despite conceding more than 600 on the first innings. Australia's bowlers were unable to stop the South African batsmen without their new ball pair.<Ref>{{cite web |title= 5th Test: Australia v South Africa at Melbourne Feb 6-12 1953|url=http://content-aus.cricinfo.com/ci/engine/match/62750.html| publisher=[[Cricinfo]] |accessdate=2008-07-04}}</ref>
== 1953 Ashes tour ==
{{main|Keith Miller with the Australian cricket team in England in 1953}}
Australia proceeded to the [[Australian cricket team in England in 1953|1953 Ashes tour]].<Ref name="p322">Perry, p. 322.</ref> During a stopover at [[Naples]], Miller had locked inside after entering a private opera rehearsal without authorisation, but managed to run away and rejoin the boat as it was about to leave.<ref name="p322"/> He was embroiled in further controversy when one of his books criticised his captain Hassett as being too cautious.<Ref name="p323">Perry, p. 323.</ref><Ref name="p324">Perry, p. 324.</ref>
The burden on Miller and Lindwall increased when Johnston broke down in an early tour game.<Ref name="p256">Perry, p. 256.</ref> Miller had to bowl 28 wicketless overs against Worcestershire, He then came to the crease with Australia struggling at 3/28 proceeded to score an unbeaten 220 in just over six hours.<Ref name="p327">Perry, p. 327.</ref> He then scored 159 not out against Yorkshire.<ref name="p327"/> At this point, Miller had scored 421 runs in the first seven days of May, and the media began to speculate that he could score 1000 runs in one month, something that had been done on a tour only by Bradman.<Ref name="p328">Perry, p. 328.</ref>
Miller's love of [[Thoroughbred horse race|horseracing]] then interfered with his quest. Wanting to attend an afternoon race meeting, he opened the batting in the morning against [[Cambridge University Cricket Club|Cambridge University]]. Not intending to play a long innings, he attacked the bowling and was out for 20, before heading for the track.<ref>Perry, pp. 328–329.</ref> This was followed by a match against the MCC at Lord's where he took four wickets of English Test players.<ref name="p329">Perry, p. 329.</ref> Miller then took match figures of 5/27 against [[Oxford University Cricket Club|Oxford University]].<Ref name="p329"/><Ref name="p330">Perry, p. 330.</ref> In the match against Essex, Miller pulled rib muscles, meaning he could not bowl in the First Test at Trent Bridge. He scored 55 and five in a rain-affected draw.<ref>Perry, pp. 331–332.</ref>
Australia travelled to [[Bramall Lane]] under the captaincy of Miller. Captain Hassett and his deputy Morris were rested from the match and stayed in London with the team manager. After the first day's play, he organised a party for that lasted until the next afternoon—the rest day. He woke up with a hangover on the following day just minutes before the start of play. With no transport available, a journalist hired a [[hearse]] from a nearby [[funeral home]] to transport him to the ground.<Ref name="p332">Perry, p. 332.</ref> When it was Australia's turn to bat, Miller was the last man to be dismissed, having scored 86 despite his hangover.<Ref name="p333">Perry, p. 333.</ref>
The Test series moved to Lord's. Miller resumed bowling, sending down 42 overs and taking a total of 1/74. He managed 25 in the first innings, but promoted to number three in the second innings, he batted patiently to reach stumps before reaching his first Test century on English soil the following morning,<Ref name="testlist"/><ref name="p334">Perry, p. 334.</ref> but England held on for a draw.<Ref name="p335">Perry, p. 335.</ref> More than half of the Third Test at Old Trafford was washed out, resulting in another draw. Miller took 1/38 bowling fast off breaks and scored 17 and six.<Ref name="testlist"/><ref name="p335">Perry, p. 335.</ref> Australia then played Middlesex at Lord's, where Miller scored a hard-hitting 71.<Ref>Perry, pp. 335–336.</ref>
Australia elected to field on a wet wicket in the Fourth Test at Headingley. Miller dismissed Edrich and Graveney and ended with 2/39 from 38 overs as England were bowled out for 167.<Ref name="testlist"/><Ref name="leeds56">Perry, pp. 336–337</ref> Miller made only five in the first innings. In the second innings, Miller and Lindwall launched a short-pitched barrage and dismissed Watson and Simpson in consecutive balls. England were 5/177 a stumps on day four, leading by 78.<Ref name="p337">Perry, p. 337.</ref> The pacemen were booed from the field.<Ref name="p338"/> The next day, Miller dismissed Evans early, before [[Trevor Bailey]] began his resistance.<Ref>Perry, pp. 331–332.</ref><ref name="p338"/> Frustrated by Bailey's defensive style and time-wasting, Miller lost his cool and aimed a [[beamer]] straight at Bailey's head, further angering the crowd.<Ref name="p338">Perry, p. 338.</ref> Miller ended with 4/63 from a long spell of 47 overs.<Ref name="p339">Perry, p. 339.</ref> England held on for another draw after Bailey deliberately bowled wide to prevent the Australians from scoring. The teams headed for the Fifth Test at The Oval tied 0–0.<ref name="p340">Perry, p. 340.</ref> Miller's last Test performance was his least productive; he scored one and a duck and took a total of 2/89. England won the match and regained the Ashes.<Ref name="testlist"/><Ref name="p341">Perry, p. 341.</ref> Miller's returns were below his career standards, with 223 runs at 24.77 and 10 wickets at 30.30. He took two catches.<Ref name="testlist"/><ref name="p342">Perry, p. 342.</ref>
Miller scored 67 against the Gentlemen of England at Lord's and then played against the Combined Services at [[Kingston]]. He reached his century before lunch and then proceeded to 262 not out with 24 boundaries. This included a 377-run fourth-wicket stand by [[Jim de Courcy]] in only 205 minutes, in particular targeting [[Fred Trueman]]'s bowling.<Ref name="p343">Perry, p. 343.</ref> He then took 3/17 with the ball.<Ref name="p344">Perry, p. 344.</ref> He finished the English summer with 1,433 runs at 51.17, the second highest average behind Harvey among batsmen with over 200 runs.<ref name="p344"/> He was the only Australian to hit two double centuries and also took 45 wickets at 22.51.<Ref name="p344"/> For his efforts that summer, ''Wisden Cricketers' Almanack'' named him one of its [[Wisden Cricketers of the Year|Five Cricketers of the Year]].<ref name="WCOTY">{{cite web|url=http://content-aus.cricinfo.com/wisdenalmanack/content/story/154607.html?from=login|title=Cricketer of the year - 1954: Keith Miller|work=Wisden Cricketers' Almanack - online archive|publisher=John Wisden & Co|accessdate=2008-07-01}}</ref>
== Overlooked for Test captaincy ==
{{seealso|Ian Johnson (cricketer)}}
[[Image:Ian Johnson.jpg|thumb|Ian Johnson, Miller's rival for the position of Test captain]]
Miller returned to Australia and led New South Wales to the Sheffield Shield title in 1953–54. He topped the Australian first-class batting averages with 71.10, but had his poorest season with the ball, taking only 16 wickets at 38.75.<Ref>Perry, pp. 348–349.</ref> The season was purely domestic with no touring side and therefore no Test matches.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://aus.cricinfo.com/db/ARCHIVE/1950S/1953-54/| title=Match/series archive| publisher=[[Cricinfo]] |accessdate=2007-12-04}}</ref> The season was also a transition point in Australian cricket, as Hassett retired upon return to Australia.<Ref name="p346"/> Initially, Morris and Miller were the two frontrunners. Miller was the state captain, but Morris was the vice-captain of the Test team ahead of Miller.<ref>Perry, pp. 347–348.</ref> At the time, Johnson had been dropped from the Australian team, but inherited the Victorian captaincy from Hassett, who accused him of not trying. Hassett told Johnson that he could become Test captain if he regained his form and his Test position.<ref name="p346"/> As the outgoing captain, Hassett was believed to have an influence over the selection of his successor. Miller had also criticised Hassett in his book.<Ref name="p346">Perry, p. 346.</ref> Johnson returned to form with 45 wickets at 22.75 for the season.<Ref name="p349">Perry, p. 349.</ref>
England toured Australia in the 1954–55 season. Johnson was selected to lead an Australian XI in a tour match against the Englishmen before the Tests, an indication of the selectors' inclination. He took 6/66 in England's only innings. The build-up featured a media war, with Melbourne newspapers stumping for Johnson while the Sydney journalists trumpeted Miller. Miller warmed up for the Tests with 86 for New South Wales against England. On November 18, the Australian Board of Control selected Johnson as captain, with Morris as his deputy.<Ref name="p352"/> Miller's irreverent nature was cited as a possible reason for the board's selection. Johnson was regarded as a superior diplomat, while Miller had a reputation for turning up late and being undisciplined.<Ref>Perry, pp. 346–347.</ref> The decision was bitterly criticised by the Sydney press.{{quote|There is strong feeling amongst cricket enthusiasts that horse trading on a state basis rather than objective evaluation of cricket skills has dominated selectors discussions. The operating principle seems to have been "you look after my man and we'll look after yours."|[[The Daily Telegraph (Australia)|The Daily Telegraph]] editorial|<ref name="Haigh">Haigh, p. 85.</ref>}}
Miller scored 49 in the First Test at Brisbane as Australia amassed 8/601, before dismissing Simpson and Hutton as England fell to an innings defeat.<Ref name="p352">Perry, p. 352.</ref><Ref name="testlist"/> A knee injury forced Miller to miss the Second Test at the SCG, which England won.<Ref name="p353">Perry, p. 353.</ref> Miller returned for the Third Test at the MCG, but was initially unavailable to bowl due to lingering knee problems.<Ref name="p354">Perry, p. 354.</ref> However, upon receiving an inquiry about the health of his knee before the match by [[Prime Minister of Australia]] [[Bob Menzies]], Miller agreed to try and bowl for a short period and lift his team.<Ref name="p355">Perry, p. 355.</ref> England elected to bat and Miller removed Hutton, Edrich and Compton with his outswinger. He ended up bowling for the entire first session of play and had 3/5 at lunch from nine overs, before finishing at 3/14. England were bowled out for 191.<Ref name="p355"/><Ref name="testlist"/> Miller struggled with the bat, scoring six and seven as [[Frank Tyson]]'s pace saw England inflict a second successive defeat on Australia.<Ref>Perry, pp. 356–357.</ref> Australia needed to win the Fourth Test in Adelaide keep the series alive. Miller scored 44 and 14 as Australia were bowled out in the second innings to leave England with 94 for victory. Miller made a late burst, removing Edrich, Hutton and [[Colin Cowdrey]] in consecutive overs to leave England at 3/18.<Ref name="p358">Perry, p. 380.</ref> He then took a difficult catch from Johnston to dismiss [[Peter May]]. England were then 4/49 but hung on to win by five wickets and secure the Ashes.<ref name="p359">Perry, p. 359.</ref> It was the first time that Australia had lost three consecutive Tests since the ''Bodyline'' series of 1932–33.<Ref name="auslist"/> Miller made 19 and 28 in the rain-affected draw in the Fifth Test. He ended the series with 167 runs at 23.86, his lowest ever at international level,<ref name="p360">Perry, p. 360.</ref><ref name="testlist"/> and took 10 wickets at 24.30.<ref name="p361">Perry, p. 361.</ref>
He had more success as domestic level. New South Wales beat Victoria in two days at the SCG to win the Sheffield Shield; Miller taking five wickets in the second innings.<Ref name="p357">Perry, p. 357.</ref> He also led his state in a 45-run win over the tourists, their only defeat apart from the First Test. The match was marked by a quickfire 71 in 57 minutes and his team's attacking strategy.<Ref>Perry, pp. 359–360.</ref>
== West Indies tour ==
Miller replaced Morris as the vice-captain for the tour of the [[West Indies]] that started in early 1955.<Ref name="p357"/> Australia was looking for its first series win against any team in three years, having lost two consecutive series to England.<Ref name="p363">Perry, p. 363.</ref> Australia batted first in the opening Test at [[Sabina Park]] in [[Jamaica]].<Ref name="p364">Perry, p. 364.</ref> Miller came to the wicket at 2/137 and put on a 224-run partnership with Harvey. Both ended with centuries and Miller scored his highest Test score of 147, striking 15 fours. When Valentine and Ramadhin had conceded 100 runs, he respectively shook their hands.<Ref name="p365">Perry, p. 365.</ref> Australia finished at 9/515. Johnson had been injured when hit in the foot by a [[yorker]] so Miller was left in charge of the team on the field with Australia one bowler short.<Ref name="p365"/> Miller attempted to unsettle the batsmen by placing many men close to the bat in an attempt to insult their batting capabilities. He took the new ball at 5/239 and the hosts collapsed to be all out for 259.<ref name="p366"/> Miller had taken 2/36,<ref name="testlist"/> and enforced the [[follow-on]], which was questioned as paceman [[Ron Archer]] had broken down. With Australia two bowlers short, the West Indies moved to 1/114. When Weekes arrived at the crease, Miller unsettled him with delaying tactics, and he was out for one.<ref name="p366">Perry, p. 366.</ref> He then placed two [[Fielding (cricket)#Fielding position names and locations|silly points]] and two silly mid-ons in an attempt to unsettle Walcott, who fell to Lindwall soon after. Miller then took two wickets and the hosts had lost three wickets in as many overs. The West Indies were bowled out and Australia won by nine wickets.<Ref name="testlist"/> Miller had taken 3/62 in the second innings.<Ref name="testlist"/> Johnson resumed the leadership on the field in the Second Test at [[Queen's Park Oval]] in [[Trinidad]]. The match was a high-scoring draw, but Miller scored only three and took match figures of 1/148.<Ref name="testlist"/><Ref>Perry, pp. 368–369.</ref> In the Third Test at [[Georgetown, Guyana]], Miller removed both openers in the first innings and then scored 33 as Australia by eight wickets. He took 3/51 for the match.<Ref name="p370">Perry, p. 370.</ref><Ref name="testlist"/> In the Fourth Test at [[Bridgetown, Barbados]], Miller came to the wicket with Australia at 3/226 on the first day. The tourists lost two more wickets to be 5/233. Miller and Archer launched a counter-attacking partnership of 206. Miller reached 137 and then walked after edging a ball, even though none of the opposition had appealed.<Ref name="p371">Perry, p. 371.</ref> Australia reached 668 and the West Indies were struggling at 6/147, with Miller having dismissed Weekes and [[Collie Smith]] in the same over.<Ref name="cap196">Perry, pp. 196–197.</ref> At the time, Miller was bowling at medium pace, but Johnson felt that the new batsmen [[Denis Atkinson]] and [[Clairmonte Depeiaza]] were vulnerable to express pace. Johnson ordered Miller to bowl fast, but was turned down. Johnson replaced Miller with Lindwall, who was tired and was hit around the ground.<Ref name="cap196"/> The pair seized the initiative and compiled a world Test record of 347 for the seventh wicket and the Australians were tired after failing to break the partnership.<Ref>Perry, pp. 371–372.</ref> Miller attacked Johnson in front of the other players, saying "You couldn't captain a bunch of bloody schoolboys!"<ref name="p372"/> Johnson then offered to resolve the dispute "out the back",<ref name="p372"/> implying a punch-up.<Ref name="p372">Perry, p. 372.</ref>
Miller declined the offer and stopped.<Ref name="p372"/> The match resumed the next day and the West Indies were eventually bowled out 158 behind. Miller had been punished by the batsmen, taking 2/113 from 22 overs.<Ref name="testlist"/> Miller scored 10 and took 1/66 in the second innings as the match ended in a high-scoring draw.<Ref name="p373">Perry, p. 373.</ref> Miller then took 6/107 in the first innings of the Fifth Test in Jamaica. He removed [[Jackie Holt]], Walcott and Smith, before taking three tail-end wickets as the home team were bowled out for 357. When Australia batted, Miller arrived at the crease to join Harvey with the score at 3/302. He added his third century of the series and ended with 109 as Australia reached 8/758. He took 2/58 in the second innings as Australia completed a 3–0 win.<Ref>Perry, pp. 373–374.</ref> It was Miller's most statistically successful series, with 439 runs at 73.17 and the 20 wickets at 32.05 made him the equal leading wicket-taker along with Lindwall.<ref name="testlist"/><Ref name="p374">Perry, p. 374.</ref>
== Final domestic season ==
Miller started the 1955–56 season, which was purely domestic,{{Fact|date=July 2008}} with 164 against Queensland in Brisbane. On the final day, Miller set the hosts 275 for victory in three hours. He lengthened the innings break by seven minutes, by remonstrating with officials to pause the match for the running of the [[Melbourne Cup]]. They agreed and the match was stopped for 13 minutes for the race.<Ref name="p376">Perry, p. 376.</ref> Queensland lose seven wickets but held on for a draw, aided by the 20 minutes lost by Miller's love of horseracing.<Ref name="p377">Perry, p. 377.</ref>
The next match was against South Australia in Sydney. New South Wales had declared at 8/215 and the visitors were 0/2 at stumps on the first day. Miller's wife gave birth to their fourth child, and Miller was drinking into the next morning. He then arrived at the SCG, having forgotten to pick up team-mate [[Peter Philpott]] as arranged, so he had to rush back and the pair arrived late for the day's play.<Ref name="p377"/> Miller completed the unfinished over from the previous night and felt that the pitch did not offer any assistance. He then told [[Alan Davidson (cricketer)|Alan Davidson]] to bowl the next over from his end. However, as Davidson was about to bowl, Miller changed his mind and took over.<Ref name="p377"/> Miller bowled [[Les Favell]] in the over. He kept on bowling and finished with 7/12 from 7.3 overs, clean bowling five of his victims. The visitors had been levelled for 27, the lowest score in the history of the Sheffield Shield.<Ref name="p378"/> Miller then asked South Australia to follow-on, but showed little interest in bowling again, delivering only six overs despite the bowler-friendly conditions. Philpott said that "this was typical Miller. He was never an accumulator of records, not particularly concerned with figures."<ref name="p378">Perry, p. 378.</ref> In another incident, Miller had been making a speech at a civic reception for the New South Wales team in the town of [[Maitland, New South Wales|Maitland]]. In front of the mayor at the town hall, he said that it was great "to be here in this famous city of . . .",<Ref name="p380"/> before turning around to his players and saying "Where the bloody hell are we?"<ref name="p380">Perry, p. 380.</ref>
In January 1956, Miller injured his back a match against Queensland. He suffered spasms that forced him to miss the rest of the season. He had scored 403 runs at 80.60 and taken 19 wickets at 14.94.<Ref>Perry, pp. 382–383.</ref> New South Wales again won the Sheffield Shield.<Ref>{{cite web|url=http://content-aus.cricinfo.com/australia/content/story/260057.html|accessdate=2007-11-30|title=A history of the Sheffield Shield |publisher=[[Cricinfo]] |first=Martin |last=Williamson}}</ref>
== Final Ashes tour ==
{{main|Keith Miller with the Australian cricket team in England in 1956}}
Miller was selected for the [[Australian cricket team in England in 1956|1956 Ashes tour]],<Ref name="p384">Perry, p. 384.</ref><Ref name="p385">Perry, p. 385.</ref> but could not bowl for a month because of a back injury from the first match.<Ref name="p386">Perry, p. 386.</ref> Miller captained the Australians against Leicester. Coming in at 3/175, Miller made his highest first-class score of 281 not out, striking 35 fours in six and a half hours.<Ref name="p386"/> A tougher fight awaited against Surrey at The Oval, who had England's Test spin combination of Laker and [[Tony Lock]]. Miller came in at 3/124 and struggled, scoring 18 runs in his first 120 minutes; it was the slowest two hours of scoring in his career, featuring much pad play.<ref name="p387">Perry, p. 387.</ref> As his partners continued to fall, Miller accelerated and scored 36 of the next 42 runs in half an hour. He ended unbeaten on 57 as Australia were bowled out for 259; Laker taking all ten wickets. Australia lost by ten wickets, its first loss to a county since 1912.<ref name="p387"/> As a result, sections of the Australian media began campaigning for Miller to replace Johnson as captain.<ref name="p388">Perry, p. 388.</ref> Miller returned to the bowling crease against MCC, bowling 22 overs without incident.<Ref name="p388">Perry, p. 388.</ref>
[[Image:Keith Miller.JPG|right|thumb|Keith Miller]]
By the First Test at Trent Bridge, Miller was shouldering most of the bowling load. He sent down 52 overs in a rain-affected match, taking match figures of 6/127. He struggled with the bat, making a duck and four.<Ref name="p389">Perry, p. 389.</ref> The teams headed to Lord's where Miller had to carry the pace attack without the injured Davidson and Lindwall. Crawford and [[Ken Mackay]] were called in to make their debut and support Miller with the pace duties.<ref name="p393">Perry, p. 393.</ref> Australia batted first and Miller managed 28. Australia managed only 285 and Crawford injured himself, exacerbating the burden on Miller. Miller had [[Peter Richardson]] and then bowled [[Tom Graveney]] with an outswinger. England were 2/32 and their captain [[Peter May]] received an [[inswinger]] from Miller first ball, which he inside edged onto his stumps, but the bail was not dislodged.<ref name="p394">Perry, p. 394.</ref> The next day, Miller beat May four times and then had Watson caught in the gully in his third over. He then removed Bailey and Trueman. Miller's 5/72 was largely responsible for England falling for 171.<ref name="testlist"/><ref name="p394"/> Australia was in difficulty at 3/69 when Miller came to bat, hitting a counterattacking 30. Australia set England 371 to win. Miller removed Graveney at the start of the run chase.<ref>Perry, pp. 395–396.</ref> Resuming the next morning, he bowled Watson, and had May and Evans both caught behind. He bowled [[Johnny Wardle]] and took his only ten-wicket match haul in Tests. Australia won by 185 runs and Miller had bowled 70.1 overs for the match.<Ref name="testlist"/><Ref name="p397">Perry, p. 397.</ref> His knee had taken a heavy toll and Miller had to play purely as a batsman in the Third Test at Headingley. Australia were caught on a wet wicket in response to England's 325,<ref name="p401">Perry, p. 401.</ref> and Miller top-scored with 41 and Australia were forced to follow on.<Ref name="p402">Perry, p. 402.</ref> He had attempted to keep Laker and Lock at bay with his pads. In the second innings, Miller fell for 26 to Laker. Australia lost by an innings,<Ref name="p403">Perry, p. 403.</ref> for the first time in a Test in 18 years.<Ref name="auslist">{{cite web|url=http://stats.cricinfo.com/guru?sdb=team;team=AUS;class=testteam;filter=basic;opposition=0;notopposition=0;decade=0;homeaway=0;continent=0;country=0;notcountry=0;groundid=0;season=0;startdefault=1877-03-15;start=1877-03-15;enddefault=2007-11-20;end=2007-11-20;tourneyid=0;finals=0;daynight=0;toss=0;scheduledovers=0;scheduleddays=0;innings=0;followon=0;result=0;seriesresult=0;captainid=0;recent=;viewtype=resultlist;runslow=;runshigh=;wicketslow=;wicketshigh=;ballslow=;ballshigh=;overslow=;overshigh=;bpo=0;batevent=;conclow=;conchigh=;takenlow=;takenhigh=;ballsbowledlow=;ballsbowledhigh=;oversbowledlow=;oversbowledhigh=;bpobowled=0;bowlevent=;submit=1;.cgifields=viewtype |title=Statsguru - Australia - Tests - Results list |publisher=[[Cricinfo]] |accessdate=2007-12-21}}</ref>
The Australian press attacked the team, and called for changes,<Ref name="p404"/> including the omission of the captain, Johnson.<Ref name="p404"/><ref name="Barnes">Smith (1999), p. 187.</ref><ref name="Robinson">Robinson, p. 245.</ref> Johnson, Miller and [[Gil Langley]] were the tour selectors. Langley and Miller were willing to omit Johnson only if the captain volunteered to stand aside. Johnson did not volunteer, so the others did not discuss the topic.<ref name="p404">Perry, p. 404.</ref><ref name="Miller">Miller (1956), p. 138.</ref> Miller and Johnson had both appointed as [[Order of the British Empire|Members of the Order of the British Empire]] (MBE) in the 1956 [[New Year Honours]],<ref>{{LondonGazette|issue=40670|supp=yes|startpage=41|date=[[30 December]] [[1955]]|accessdate=2008-07-02}}</ref> and between the Tests they attended their formal investiture.<ref name="p404"/>
The curator at Old Trafford had been ordered to prepare a dusty, spinning pitch for the Fourth Test. A win for England would see them retain the Ashes.<Ref name="p406">Perry, p. 406.</ref> Miller bowled 21 wicketless overs as England amassed 459. Miller was out for six and a duck and fell twice to Laker, who took a world record 19 wickets as Australia lost by an innings.<Ref name="p408">Perry, p. 408.</ref> ''Wisden'' reported that the Australians were said "to be extremely bitter over the condition of the pitch".<ref name="EvA4thT56Wisden">{{cite web|year = 1957|url = http://content-aus.cricinfo.com/wisdenalmanack/content/story/152629.html|title = Fourth Test Match: England v Australia 1956|work = Wisden Cricketers' Almanack - online archive|publisher = John Wisden & Co|accessdate = 2008-06-07}}</ref>
Miller then took 5/84 against Surrey, before leading the team against Warwickshire. He had received death threats in the lead-up to the game, ordering him to lose. He scored 46 not out and took 2/13 as Australia won by an innings.<Ref name="p409"/> He then took 5/29 in the second innings against Lancashire and made 50 and took match figures of 5/78 against Essex.<ref name="p409">Perry, p. 409.</ref>
On the eve of the Fifth Test at The Oval, Miller announced that the tour would be his last, so that he would retire from cricket after the tour of the [[Indian subcontinent]] on the return voyage. In his final Test on English soil, he took 4/91 in the first innings. Miller came in to bat at 5/47 and helped Australia recover to 202, top-scoring with 61.<Ref>Perry, pp. 410–411.</ref> He took another one wicket in the second innings and was unbeaten on seven when stumps were drawn in the second innings. The series ended 1–2.<Ref name="p411">Perry, p. 411.</ref> He ended the series with 199 runs at 28.43 and topped the bowling with 21 wickets at 22.23.<ref name="testlist"/><ref name="p413">Perry, p. 413.</ref> He topped the first-class bowling for the Australians with 50 wickets at 19.60.<Ref name="p414">Perry, p. 414.</ref>
Australia played [[Pakistan national cricket team|Pakistan]] at [[Karachi]] in the first Test between the two countries on a [[cricket pitch|matting pitch]], rather than the more familiar grass pitch.<ref name="PvA1956wisden">{{cite web|year = 1957|url = http://content-aus.cricinfo.com/wisdenalmanack/content/story/152645.html|title = Test Match: The unplayable Mahmood|work = Wisden Cricketers' Almanack - online archive|publisher = John Wisden & Co|accessdate = 2008-06-09}}</ref> Miller top-scored in the first innings with 21, as Australia fell for 80. Pakistan reached 2/15 at stumps, and the total of 95 runs was the smallest run tally in a full day of Test cricket.<ref name="p414">Perry, p. 414.</ref> He took 2/40 and then scored 11 in the second innings.<ref name="p415"/> Miller's knee injury deteriorated to the point that he could not play in the three Tests against India, making the Pakistan Test the last of his career.<Ref name="p415">Perry, p. 415.</ref>
==Later life==
After retirement, Miller "remained in the public eye...", not least for "unsubstantiated rumours of an affair with Princess Margaret".<ref name="Cricinfo"/> He made a living as a journalist and columnist, employed by the ''[[Daily Express]]'' as a "special cricket writer" for twenty years. He later worked for [[Football pools|Vernons Pools]], owned by the millionaire racing identity, [[Robert Sangster]].<ref name="Selvey">{{cite news
| first = Mike
| last = Selvey
| authorlink = Mike Selvey
| title = Obituary: Keith Miller
| url = http://www.guardian.co.uk/australia/story/0,,1325266,00.html
| publisher = ''[[The Guardian]]''
| date = [[2004-10-12]]
| accessdate = 2008-01-14
}}</ref> However, Miller "was happiest at the cricket or at the races".<ref name="Cricinfo"/>
Miller's later life was plagued by ill health; "Life exacted its tolls; he suffered cancer, had a hip replaced, part of an ear removed and at length was wheelchair-bound".<ref name="SMH"/> He accepted these vicissitudes equably; "Some grieved to see him reduced, but not him; these were life's deliveries. He knew only that one would get him out eventually. Asked at 75 about death, he said: "Never think about it. No regrets. I've had a hell of a good life. Been damned lucky".<ref name="SMH"/>
Keith Miller died in October 2004 after being in poor health for some time.<ref name="Cricinfo"/>
==Playing style==
[[Image:Miller cut.jpg|right|thumb|Miller playing a cut shot]]
Miller combined classy strokeplay with big hitting, his front foot play especially devastating. He had a rifle like straight drive, played pull and sweep shots with a minimum of effort and was able to cut elegantly. He combined this elegance with unorthodoxy, hitting two [[Boundary (cricket)|sixes]] over square leg with a backhand tennis shot and once beginning the day's play in a Test match with a six.<ref name="Pollard"/> Len Hutton said he was "the most unpredictable cricketer I have played against".<ref name="SMH"/>
As a bowler, Miller had a classically high arm action, moving the ball sharply either way and able to make the ball rise from a good length. He was often able to generate more pace than his new ball partner, Lindwall. He was always willing to try something new if the batsman were set, varying his approach from fifteen paces to five and vice-versa. A round arm delivery often managed to capture a wicket, surprising the batsman.<ref name="Pollard"/> His use of [[bouncer (cricket)|bouncers]] at [[Trent Bridge]] during the 1948 tour was seen by the English crowd as excessive, who booed him. Miller simply sat down until the barracking had subsided. He was often required to bowl through pain, pressing a disk into place at the base of his spine before sending down the next delivery.<ref name="Cricinfo"/>
He was an acrobatic slips fielder, who would take freakish catches with nonchalant ease, often immediately returning to his discussion with those around him as if nothing was unusual.<ref name="Pollard"/> Miller often required a contest to retain interest in the game. At [[Southend]] in 1948, as the Australians scored a record 721 runs in a single day against [[Essex County Cricket Club|Essex]], Miller, coming in to bat when the score was 2/364, allowed himself to be bowled first ball.<ref name="Cricinfo"/> Indeed, he "turned to the wicketkeeper and said: "Thank God that's over"."<ref name="SMH"/> He never captained Australia, as his attitude to the game tended to alarm the authorities. About Miller, [[Ashley Mallett]] wrote, "He loved tradition, but hated convention. His unstructured way of playing and living would be anathema to cricketers now... He played as he fought the war, by impulse and mood.<ref name="SMH"/>
==Personality==
A larger than life character, Miller was the subject of many stories, often [[apocryphal]]. One story had Don Bradman answering a knock on the door late one night to see Miller dressed in a dinner suit. Miller advised Bradman that, as demanded, he was in bed at curfew and was now going out.<ref name="SMH"/> His relationship with Bradman was one riddled with friction and mutual antipathy, "... one a roundhead of massive influence, the other a cavalier and maverick". As Bradman moved from batting hero and team captain to selector and administrator, his influence grew; this "... almost certainly cost Miller any chance of captaining his country".<ref name="Selvey">{{cite news
| first = Mike
| last = Selvey
| title = Obituary, Keith Miller, Australian cricket's charismatic and mercurial allrounder
| url = http://www.guardian.co.uk/australia/story/0,,1325266,00.html
| publisher = ''[[The Guardian]]''
| date = [[2004-10-12]]
| accessdate = 2008-01-03
}}</ref>
He sometimes set his field by saying to his players: "scatter".{{Fact|date=December 2007}} On another occasion, he is reported to have said, after being told that NSW was taking the field with one player too many: "I say, will one of you chaps piss off?".{{Fact|date=December 2007}}
One night, following a duel with [[Messerschmitt]]s in his [[de Havilland Mosquito|Mosquito]], he made an unauthorised detour over [[Bonn]] because it was [[Beethoven]]'s birthplace and he was a lover of the classics.<ref name="SMH"/> Despite his fame, Miller remained a humble man; when asked his favourite cricketing memory, he would recall no incident concerning himself, but "a South Australian team-mate walking onto Lord's to a thunderous ovation a few weeks after his release from a POW camp".<ref name="SMH"/> The cricket broadcaster, [[John Arlott]] said "that for all the glamour that attached to Miller, he was staunch and unaffected as a friend".<ref name="SMH"/>
When asked how he managed to take seven wickets for just 12 runs against South Australia, Miller replied, {{quote|There's three reasons, First, I bowled bloody well. Second, I, errr ... second ..." [pause]. "You can forget about the other two reasons.|<ref name="Haigh">{{cite news
| first = Haigh
| last = Gideon
| title = No beating about the bush, Miller was Australian in excelsis
| url = http://sport.guardian.co.uk/cricket/story/0,,1324983,00.html
| publisher = ''[[The Guardian]]''
| date = [[2004-10-12]]
| accessdate = 2007-12-22
}}</ref>}}
==Legacy and statistical analysis==
<!-- this should not be listy -->
[[Image:Compton Miller.jpg|thumb|right|Compton (l) and Miller (r). The Compton-Miller medal, awarded to the player adjudged the Player of the Series in the Ashes, recognises their friendship and rivalry.]]
Miller's achievements were recognised by a host of awards during his lifetime and posthumously. One of the five [[Wisden Cricketers of the Year]] in [[1954]],<ref> ''Wisden Cricketer's Almanack''</ref> Miller was also one of the ten inaugural inductees into the [[Australian Cricket Hall of Fame]] in [[1996]].<ref name="MCG"/>
He is also 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 Cricket Ground|Lord's]] in [[London]].<ref>The following sources are, respectively, a Miller obituary from 2004, which lists Trumper and Bradman and a further piece from 2005, when Warne's portrait was added. [[Michael Atherton]], the author of the second piece, curiously overlooks Trumper's portrait; other articles of the same period do similarly.</ref><ref name="Selvey"/><ref>[http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/main.jhtml?xml=/sport/2005/06/12/scwarn12.xml Warne: still the incomparable master of spin bowler's craft - Telegraph<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
In 1956, as a result of injuries sustained by team-mates, Miller, aged 36, was forced to shoulder the burden of the bowling in the Lord's Test. He bowled more than 70 overs in the match, taking five wickets in each innings. Miller had scored 109 in the 1953 Lord's Test, and remains the only man to have his name on both the batting and bowling honours boards in the visitors' dressing-room there.<ref name="Cricinfo"/>
Miller's abilities as an all-rounder led to enormous success as both batsman and bowler. The [[ICC player rankings]] have been applied retrospectively to cricket history and Miller achieved top ten rankings with both bat and ball. As a batsman, he peaked at ninth in the world in 1952, and was a top 20 player from shortly after début and for the rest of the duration of his career.<ref>{{cite web
|url = http://www.lgiccrankings.com/test/batting/player-display.php?id=725&graph=ranking
|title = Keith Miller Batting Test Ranking Statistics
|publisher = LG ICC Rankings
|accessdate = 2008-01-02}}</ref> Miller's bowling abilities led to even greater success. By the end of 1946, he was already ranked sixth in the world and thereafter never slipped lower than ninth; for much of his career, he was the second best bowler in the world according to the ratings, remarkably, for a 36-year-old, peaking at the number 1 slot for a few months in 1956.<ref>{{cite web
|url = http://www.lgiccrankings.com/test/bowling/player-display.php?graph=ranking&id=725
|title = Keith Miller Bowling Test Ranking Statistics
|publisher = LG ICC Rankings
|accessdate = 2008-01-02}}</ref> As an all-rounder, therefore, it is unsurprising to find that he was peerless for most of his career, ranked as number 1 in the world for most of his career, including an unbroken eight year run from June 1948 until his retirement.<ref>{{cite web
|url = http://www.lgiccrankings.com/test/all-rounder/player-display.php?id=725&graph=ranking
|title =Keith Miller All-Rounder Test Ranking Statistics
|publisher = LG ICC Rankings
|accessdate = 2008-01-02}}</ref>
Miller's statistics are an inexact measure of his worth to the side. Many of the Australia teams he played in featured very strong batting line-ups, restricting his opportunities as a middle-order player.{{Fact|date=December 2007}} His verve and enthusiasm were also important contributors to Australian success, as was his ability to produce the unexpected (particularly with the ball) and help break partnerships.{{Fact|date=December 2007}}
== Test match performance ==
[[Image:Keith Miller graph.png|centre|thumb|400px|An innings-by-innings breakdown of Miller's Test match batting career, showing runs scored (red bars) and the average of the last ten innings (blue line). The blue dots indicate an innings where he was not dismissed.<ref name="batsum">{{cite web|url=http://stats.cricinfo.com/statsguru/engine/player/6612.html?class=1;template=results;type=batting;view=innings |title= Statsguru - KR Miller - Test Batting - Batting analysis |accessdate=2008-04-15| publisher=[[Cricinfo]]}}</ref>]]
{| class="wikitable" style="margin: 1em auto 1em auto" width="80%"
|-
!colspan=2|
!colspan=4| Batting<ref name="batsum">{{citeweb
| url = http://stats.cricinfo.com/statsguru/engine/player/6612.html?class=1;template=results;type=batting
| title = Statsguru - KR Miller - Test matches - Batting analysis
| accessdate = 2008-06-19
| publisher = [[Cricinfo]]}}</ref>
!colspan=4| Bowling<ref name="bowlsum">{{citeweb
| url = http://stats.cricinfo.com/statsguru/engine/player/6612.html?class=1;template=results;type=bowling
| accessdate = 2008-06-19
| title = Statsguru - KR Miller - Test Bowling - Bowling analysis
| publisher = [[Cricinfo]]}}</ref>
|-
! style="text-align:left;" | Opposition
!| Matches
!| Runs
!| Average
!| High Score
!| 100 / 50
!| Runs
!| Wickets
!| Average
!| Best (Inns)
|- style="text-align:right;"
| style="text-align:left;" | [[England cricket team|England]]
|| 29
|| 1511
|| 33.57
|| 145*
|| 3/6
|| 1949
|| 87
|| 22.40
|| 7/60
|- style="text-align:right;"
| style="text-align:left;" | [[India national cricket team|India]]
|| 5
|| 185
|| 37.00
|| 67
|| 0/2
|| 223
|| 9
|| 24.77
|| 2/25
|- style="text-align:right;"
| style="text-align:left;" | [[New Zealand national cricket team|New Zealand]]
|| 1
|| 30
|| 30.00
|| 30
|| 0/0
|| 6
|| 2
|| 3.00
|| 2/6
|- style="text-align:right;"
| style="text-align:left;" | [[Pakistan national cricket team|Pakistan]]
|| 1
|| 32
|| 16.00
|| 21
|| 0/0
|| 58
|| 2
|| 29.00
|| 2/40
|- style="text-align:right;"
| style="text-align:left;" | [[South Africa national cricket team|South Africa]]
|| 9
|| 399
|| 33.25
|| 84
|| 0/4
|| 631
|| 30
|| 21.03
|| 5/40
|- style="text-align:right;"
| style="text-align:left;" | [[West Indies national cricket team|West Indies]]
|| 10
|| 801
|| 53.40
|| 147
|| 4/1
|| 1039
|| 40
|| 25.97
|| 6/107
|- style="text-align:right; border-top:solid 2px grey;"
| style="text-align:left;" | Overall
|| 55
|| 2958
|| 36.97
|| 147
|| 7/13
|| 3906
|| 170
|| 22.97
|| 7/60
|}
==References==
*{{cite book|last=Bradman |first=Donald |authorlink=Don Bradman |title=Farewell to cricket | publisher=Editions Tom Thomson |year=1994 |isbn=187589201X}}
*{{cite book |last=Haigh|first=Gideon|authorlink=Gideon Haigh |title=The summer game: Cricket in Australia in the 50s and 60s |year=2006 |publisher=Australian Broadcasting Corporation |location=Sydney|isbn= 978 0 7333 2003 3}}
*{{cite book|last=Main|first=Jim|coauthors=Holmesby, Russell|title=''The encyclopedia of league footballers'' |year=1992 |publisher=Wilkinson |location=Melbourne|isbn=1 86337 085 4|}}
*{{cite book|last=Miller|first=Keith|title=Cricket Crossfire|year= 1956|publisher=Oldbourne Press|location=London}}
*{{cite book|last=Perry|first=Roland|title=Miller's Luck: the life and loves of Keith Miller, Australia's greatest all-rounder|year=2006|publisher=Random House|location=Sydney|isbn=9781741662221}}
*{{cite book | authorlink=Ray Robinson |last=Robinson |first=Ray |coauthors=[[Gideon Haigh|Haigh, Gideon]] |title=On top down under: Australia's cricket captains (revised edition) |year=1996 |publisher=Wakefield |location=Adelaide |isbn=1-86254-387-9}}
*{{cite book |last=Pollard |first=Jack |authorlink=Jack Pollard |title=Australian Cricket: The game and the players |year=1988 |publisher=Angus & Robertson |location=Sydney |isbn=0-207-15269-1}}
*{{cite book |last=Smith |first=Rick |title=Cricket's Enigma: The Sid Barnes Story |year=1999 |publisher=Australian Broadcasting Corporation |location=Sydney |isbn=0 7333 0787 6}}
==Footnotes and citations==
:''References using [[Cricinfo]] or [[Wisden Cricketer's Almanack|Wisden]] may require free registration for access.''
{{reflist|3}}
==External links==
*[http://aus.cricinfo.com/db/PLAYERS/AUS/M/MILLER_KR_02000741/ Cricinfo, 2007, "Keith Miller" (player profile)]
*[http://stats.rleague.com/afl/stats/players/K/Keith_Miller0.html AFL Statistics: Keith Miller]
* [http://content-www.cricinfo.com/magazine/content/story/296109.html Brydon Coverdale, "Australia's Winter Allrounders: XI Test Cricketers who played Australian Rules football at the highest level", Cricinfo, 28 May 2007]
*[http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2004/10/11/1097406502446.html Craig Baum, "Death of a hero" ] (''Sydney Morning Herald'', October 11, 2004)
*[http://www.awm.gov.au/fiftyaustralians/32.asp Australian War Memorial (no date), "Keith Nugget Miller"]
*[http://www.ausport.gov.au/fulltext/2004/sportsf/s1219060.asp ABC Radio National (transcript) "The gods created Keith Miller...then threw the mould away." ] (''The Sports Factor'', October 15, 2004)
{{The Invincibles squad}}
{{ACB Team of the Century}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Miller, Keith}}
[[Category:Keith Miller| ]]
[[Category:Australian Cricket Hall of Fame inductees]]
[[Category:Royal Australian Air Force cricketers]]
[[Category:Australian Services cricketers]]
[[Category:Australian Test cricketers]]
[[Category:New South Wales cricketers]]
[[Category:People from Melbourne]]
[[Category:St Kilda Football Club players]]
[[Category:Brighton Football Club players]]
[[Category:Victoria cricketers]]
[[Category:Nottinghamshire cricketers]]
[[Category:Wisden Cricketers of the Year]]
[[Category:Members of the Order of the British Empire]]
[[Category:Australian World War II pilots]]
[[Category:The Invincibles]]
[[Category:1919 births]]
[[Category:2004 deaths]]
[[fr:Keith Miller]]
[[mr:कीथ मिलर]]
[[pl:Keith Miller]]