Keith Miller with the Australian cricket team in England in 1953

Keith Miller was part of the Australian cricket team that toured England in 1953. While Miller was personally successful on tour, Australia lost the Ashes series to England, one Test to nil.

Early matches

Australia proceeded to the 1953 Ashes tour, travelling to England aboard the "Orcades" after leaving Australia in late March.Fact|date=July 2008 They almost did so with their three main bowlers marooned in an Italian jail.Perry, p. 322.] During a stopover at Naples on the sea voyage to England, Miller had taken Lindwall and Johnston to watch a rehearsal of "La Boheme" at the San Carlos Opera House. The trio ignored the doorkeeper's attempt to stop them attending what was meant to be a private rehearsal, and proceeded inside to the auditorium. When they attempted to return to the boat, they found that the doorkeeper had locked them inside and called the police. Lindwall broke the door and the pacemen ran back to the dock just before the gangplank was being pulled away. The Australians arrived at Southampton after four weeks at sea. He was embroiled in further controversy when "Bumper", a book that he had produced with his ghost-writer Dick Whitington, criticised his captain Hassett as being too cautious.Perry, p. 323.] The book commented that "Hassett deals, or fails to deal with things as they occur". Early on the tour, the "Evening News" ran the headline "Keith Miller Criticises his Captain". The poker-faced Hassett kept his cool at a welcome reception, introducing Miller to the guests saying "I hear he has written a book. I know nothing about it."Perry, p. 324.]

The burden on Miller and Lindwall increased when Johnston broke down in an early non-first-class tour game against East Molesey and then returned with diminished powers. Johnston had taken the most wickets on the 1948 tour,Perry, p. 256.] allowing Miller and Lindwall to focus on short, sharp bursts against England's leading batsmen.Fact|date=July 2008 Miller had to bowl 28 overs without taking a wicket in the tour's opening first-class fixture 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.Perry, p. 327.] He was run out for 42 against Leicester, and then scored 159 not out in an innings win against Yorkshire. This time the innings was patient, taking 330 minutes. The spectators were unfamiliar with this style of batting from Miller and sardonically slow-handclapped him. At this point, Miller had scored 421 runs in the first seven days of May without being dismissed by a bowler, 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.Perry, p. 328.]

Tests

Miller's love of horseracing then interfered with his quest. Wanting to attend an afternoon race meeting, he convinced his captain to allow him to open the batting in the morning against Cambridge University. Not intending to play a long innings, he attacked the bowling and was out for 20, before heading for the track. [Perry, pp. 328–329.] This was followed by a match against the MCC at Lord's where he was bowled by Trevor Bailey for a duck but took four wickets of English Test batsmen, Reg Simpson, David Sheppard, Fred Brown and Godfrey Evans.Perry, p. 329.] Miller then took match figures of 5/27 against Oxford University but felt that umpire Frank Chester had taken a hostile attitude towards the Australians, a feeling that would persist through the summer. Miller was bowled for 19 in Australia's only innings and then missed the match against Minor Counties, instead spending the weekend with Princess Margaret.Perry, p. 330.] In the match against Essex, Miller pulled rib muscles, meaning he could not bowl in the First Test at Trent Bridge. In the first innings he came to the crease on the first day with the score at 3/128. He scored 55 in a partnership of 109 for the fourth wicket with Hassett before being dismissed by Johnny Wardle. He scored five in the second innings of a rain-affected draw. [Perry, pp. 331–332.]

Australia travelled to Bramall Lane in Sheffield under the captaincy of Miller. Captain Hassett and his deputy Morris were rested from the match and stayed in London with the team manager. Miller bowled only one over after Yorkshire won the toss due to his sore rib. Nevertheless, after the first day's play, he organised a party for his young team that lasted until the next afternoon—the rest day. Miller and Lindwall, the two most senior players present, were the last to leave. They woke up with a hangover on the following day just minutes before play was to start in front of a packed stadium of 30,000. With no transport available, a journalist hired a hearse from a nearby funeral home to transport the pacemen to the ground.Perry, p. 332.] They arrived just in time and when it was Australia's turn to bat, Miller was the last man to be dismissed, having scored 86 from 195 minutes despite his hangover. He had been dropped five times during his innings, which helped Australia to avoid the follow on. The match was drawn.Perry, p. 333.]

The Test series moved to Lord's, the home of cricket. 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 came to the wicket at 1/3 before batting patiently to reach stumps before registering his first Test century on English soil the following morning.Perry, p. 334.] Miller was dismissed for 109. England held on for a draw with three wickets in hand.Perry, p. 335.]

More than half of the Third Test at Old Trafford was washed out, resulting in another draw. It was timely for Australia, as they led by only 77 in the second innings with eight wickets down. Miller took 1/38 bowling fast off breaks and scored 17 and six.Perry, p. 335.] Australia then played Middlesex at Lord's, where Miller scored a hard-hitting 71, later claiming that he decided to attack and entertain because of the presence of Queen Elizabeth II.Perry, pp. 335–336.] The "Daily Express] " opined that "It was right royal entertainment".Perry, p. 336.]

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.Perry, pp. 336–337] However, it was his relationship with umpire Chester that garnered more attention. After a series of declined appeals, Miller broke the stumps and appealed for a run out with the batsman more than a metre out of his ground, but Chester said not out. Angered, Miller appealed four more times for the wicket. Miller made only five, falling to Bailey as Australia took a 99-run lead. 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.Perry, p. 337.] The pacemen were booed from the field. Miller reacted to one heckler by challenging him to fight, which was declined. The next day, Miller dismissed Evans early, before Trevor Bailey began his resistance. Miller and Bailey were rivals;Perry, pp. 331–332.] both were all rounders, but while Miller was attacking, Bailey was stubborn and defensive. Bailey attempted to save the match by time-wasting and causing stoppages. At one point, Miller lost his cool and aimed a beamer—an an illegal delivery— straight at Bailey's head, further angering the crowd.Perry, p. 338.] Miller ended with 4/63 from a long spell of 47 overs and confronted another heckler on his way back to the dressing room, this time an elderly man.Perry, p. 339.] England held on for another draw after Bailey deliberately bowled wide to prevent the Australian batsmen from reaching the target. The teams headed for the Fifth Test at The Oval tied 0–0.Perry, p. 340.] 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.Perry, p. 341.] Miller's returns were below his career standards, with 223 runs at 24.77 and 10 wickets at 30.30. He took two catches.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] Perry, p. 342.]

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.Perry, p. 343.] He then took 3/17 with the ball.Perry, p. 344.]

Overall

He finished the English summer with 1,433 runs at 51.17, the second highest average behind Harvey among batsmen with over 200 runs. He was the only Australian to hit two double centuries and also took 45 wickets at 22.51. For his efforts that summer, "Wisden Cricketers' Almanack" named him one of its Five Cricketers of the Year.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] quote|In the 1953 Test series with England, Miller emulated the hitherto unique achievement of Wilfred Rhodes with 2,000 runs and 100 wickets in international cricket. Yet figures are the last thing by which this unpredictable personality, a man with the instinctive flair for turning a crowd's annoyance into instant delight, should be assessed. Miller has always placed the fun of the game above every consideration. No doubt, had he consistently applied himself to all situations with the determination he has produced at moments of crisis, his batting and bowling averages would have been higher and, in his forty Tests, he would already have exceeded the 2,325 runs and 127 wickets of Rhodes. Maybe so, but that would not have been Miller, of the few personal cricket ambitions, who thrives on incentive but takes scant pleasure in cheap runs or wickets.|Wisden Cricketers' Almanack|

References

*cite book|last=Perry|first=Roland|title=Miller's Luck: the life and loves of Keith Miller, Australia's greatest all-rounder|year=2005|publisher=Random House|location=Sydney|isbn=9781741662221

Notes