Keith Miller
Keith Ross Miller was an Australian Test cricketer and a Royal Australian Air Force pilot during World War II. Miller is widely regarded as Australia's greatest ever all-rounder. His ability, irreverent manner and good looks made him a crowd favourite. Journalist Ian Wooldridge called Miller "the golden boy" of cricket, leading to him being nicknamed "Nugget".
A member of the record-breaking Invincibles, at the time of his retirement from Test cricket in 1956, Miller had the best statistics of any all-rounder in cricket history. He often batted high in the order, sometimes as high as number three. He was a powerful striker of the ball, and one straight six that he hit at the Sydney Cricket Ground was still rising when it hit the upper deck of the grandstand. Miller was famous for varying his bowling to bemuse batsmen: he made sparing use of slower deliveries and would often adjust his run-up, surprisingly bowling his fastest deliveries from a short run. He was also a fine fielder and an especially acrobatic catcher in the slips.
Away from cricket, Miller was also a successful Australian rules footballer. He played for St Kilda and was selected to represent the Victorian state team. He played 50 games for St Kilda, for whom he kicked eight goals in one game against North Melbourne, during 1941.
Miller's personality – love of the contest, rather than victory, and his larger-than-life rebelliousness and carousing – helped both shape and limit his cricketing career, as he espoused the opposite of the more puritanical values of Donald Bradman, his captain and later national selector. Neville Cardus referred to Miller as "the Australian in excelsis"; Wooldridge's response was "By God he was right". This status was reflected when Miller was made one of the ten inaugural members of the Australian Cricket Hall of Fame.
Early years
Born on 28 November 1919 in the western Melbourne suburb of Sunshine, Miller was the youngest of Leslie and Edith Miller's four children. He was named after the Australian pioneer aviator brothers Keith and Ross Smith, who were half-way through their historic flight from England to Australia at the time Miller was born. The three Miller boys played Australian rules football and cricket. Their father had been a successful local cricketer and taught the boys to play with an orthodox and classical technique, relying on a solid defence and concentration in the mould of Bill Ponsford. At the age of seven, Miller's family moved to Elsternwick, in Melbourne's southeast. As a child, Miller was small for his age, which forced him to develop his technique rather than rely on power.At the age of 12, he was selected for an under-15 Victorian schoolboys cricket team. At the time, he stood only tall and wielded a sawn-off bat. He lacked power, but impressed with his footwork and style. Miller reasoned that, as he appeared destined to be short, a career as a jockey was more likely than one as a cricketer or footballer.
Miller attended Melbourne High School, where Australian test captain Bill Woodfull was his mathematics teacher. Miller was a mediocre student, but Woodfull quickly noticed his cricket skills. Aged 14, Miller was selected for the school's first XI. His control and solidity prompted the spectators to call him The Unbowlable—Woodfull's own nickname. In 1934, Miller failed all of his subjects, scoring zero in his final exam for Woodfull's geometry class, and was forced to repeat the year.
Keith Truscott, Miller's school cricket captain, took him to a trial with local club side St Kilda at the start of the 1934–35 season, but Miller could not find a place in any of its five teams. Joining the local sub-district cricket club Elsternwick instead, he did not get to bat or bowl in his first match, and was dropped to the second XI for his poor fielding. Nevertheless, his teammate, former Victoria state player Hughie Carroll, spotted Miller's talent and lured him to the rival South Melbourne club. Miller began playing for South Melbourne the following season. It was at South Melbourne that Miller met Ian Johnson and Lindsay Hassett, his future Australia captains. Miller scored 12 not out on debut, but observers felt he would succeed with a stronger physique; Woodfull wrote in the 1936 school magazine, "Miller has Test possibilities".
In March 1936, Miller played for South Melbourne against Carlton, captained by Woodfull. Miller came to the crease at 6/32. He guided his team to 141, putting on a stand of 65 with the last man and finishing with 61. The crowd gave Miller a standing ovation, and newspapers him compared him to Ponsford and Alan Kippax. The Carlton team awarded him a silver eggcup, "for sterling performance", which Woodfull presented to Miller during an algebra class.
In 1999, the Melbourne High School oval was named The Woodfull - Miller Oval and in 2007, a statue of Miller and Woodfull sitting on a seat was unveiled.
Debuts in Sheffield Shield and Victorian Football League
During 1936, Miller underwent a sudden growth spurt, of in the year, reaching in height. This thwarted his career as a jockey. With his increased height and weight, he began to play football with more physical aggression. At the end of 1936, he completed year 10 and quit high school, taking a position as a clerk.For the 1937–38 cricket season, Miller transferred to the VCA Colts, where he won the team's batting trophy for having the best average. At this stage, his method of playing was slow and steady accumulation of runs. Late in the summer, he made his first-class debut for Victoria and hit 181 against Tasmania at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. In 1938–39, he rejoined South Melbourne and also played four further matches for Victoria, scoring 125 runs at an average of 25.00. He was yet to play in the Sheffield Shield competition, having appeared only in one-off matches.
During this period, Miller achieved more success as a footballer, following his brothers in joining the Brighton Football Club in the Victorian Football Association in 1937. A defender, Miller initially played on the half-back flank before moving to full back during his third season, in 1939. At this stage, he lacked the strength to hip and shoulder his opponents and relied on his running ability and accurate kicking.
Miller finally made his breakthrough in cricket in 1939–40, when he was selected to make his Sheffield Shield debut, against South Australia at the Adelaide Oval. He managed just four and seven, batting at number five in the order. When Victoria fielded, Miller ran out his future Invincibles captain Don Bradman. One of Miller's teammates was Percy Beames, who was also his manager at Vacuum Oil. Miller scored 41 and 47 not out in his second match to hold his place, but against New South Wales, Miller made a pair of 14s, having difficulties against leg spin. In the return match against South Australia, Miller took the initiative against leg-spinner Clarrie Grimmett, aggressively advancing down the pitch and driving. Miller reached 108, his first century in Shield competition. Apart from the century, Miller had a moderate season, ending with 298 runs at 29.80.
In 1940, Miller started his fourth season in the VFA. In a match against Coburg, aged just 19, he was selected to play at full back, against the greatest forward of the era, Bob Pratt. Miller restricted Pratt to just one goal for the match, and was named best on ground. Scouts from top-tier Victorian Football League club St Kilda signed Miller on the spot. In a match for St Kilda against Carlton, Miller was king hit by his opponent Ron Cooper at the start of the match. When the teams next met, Miller shoulder bumped Cooper in the first minute, forcing him to leave the field. St Kilda finished second-last that season.
War service
Miller's sporting career was interrupted by World War II. On 20 August 1940, he joined the Militia, and was assigned to the 4th Reserve Motor Transport Company. In late September, Miller began his training. A non-conformist, he had the first of many clashes with authority in November, when he was fined for "using insulting language to a superior officer". Miller soon lived up to the traditional nickname of Dusty for anyone called Miller, owing to his tendency to be involved in fist fights and his rambunctious persona.During the summer of 1940–41, Miller was granted leave so that he could play interstate cricket. In a war-shortened season, Miller scored 140 runs at 28.00 and took his maiden first-class wicket. The 1941 VFL season also went ahead. Miller played in defence and attack, depending on match conditions. In 16 games, he kicked 28 goals, including eight in one match. He again showed his disrespect for authority and reputation, striking his boss Beames—who played for Melbourne—with a raised elbow at the start of a match. Miller came second in St Kilda's best and fairest for the season.
Miller's season ended early when he was recalled to duty. He had continued disciplinary problems, and left the Militia on 8 November 1941. Miller and a friend then attempted to join the Royal Australian Navy. When the navy rejected his friend, Miller tore up his own paperwork, left the recruiting office, and walked around the corner to the Royal Australian Air Force recruiting office, where he enlisted.
Less than two months after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941, Miller was called to active service. He trained at No. 4 Initial Training School, at Victor Harbor in South Australia, and gained his wings in late 1942. He played only one match during the 1942 football season, while posted in South Australia. In December, he was promoted to the rank of flight sergeant and, a month later, he sailed to Europe. The journey included a stopover at a training camp in Boston in the United States, where Miller met his future wife Peg Wagner. In March, he was deployed to Bournemouth, in England, where he continued his training.
Miller was invited to join a RAAF team in London. The team was officially formed in preparation for the 1943 season and Miller's selection led to the first of many brushes with death: in April, while away with the team, some of his comrades were killed in a German air strike. Miller played his first match at Lord's against Warner's XI, a team that featured past, current and future England players, including Bob Wyatt, Gubby Allen, Trevor Bailey and Alec Bedser. Miller top-scored in the first innings with 45 and added 21 not out, with two sixes, in the second innings. The RAAF played eight matches that season and Miller's top score was 141 against Public School Wanderers. He went on to play for Dominions against Warner's XI in August, scoring 32 and two. The match marked the first meeting between Miller and his good friend, England batsman Denis Compton and his bowling began to attract media attention. 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. The success of RAAF and Dominions that season, especially the attractive batting by Miller and Keith Carmody, prompted Warner to begin planning for a "Test" series between the respective armed services of England and Australia.
By late 1943, Miller was based in Gloucestershire. One night, he threatened to punch his commanding officer, resulting in his being sentenced for insubordination to a three-week disciplinary course with hard labour. In mid-November, he was posted to Ouston near Newcastle upon Tyne where he trained in the used of radar. During his stay there, Miller sustained a back injury during a wrestling match: the injury was to cause him recurring and enduring problems, particularly diminishing his ability to bowl.
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. In a match against an England XI, Miller scored 85 in 100 minutes. He then took match figures of 6/28 against the West of England at Bristol.
After ten months of training, Miller was offered a commission as a pilot officer, and was posted to No. 12 Advanced Flying Unit in Grantham, Lincolnshire, on 15 August 1944, then moving on to Cranfield, Bedfordshire. On a trip back to Ouston to visit former comrades, a night of drunken revelry saw Miller charged with eight offences and facing possible dishonourable discharge. Luckily for Miller, his new commanding officer was his old CO from Ouston; Miller escaped with a fine.
While training, Miller flew Beauforts, Beaufighters and Mosquitos. He had another near death experience: mechanical problems forced him to make an emergency landing of his Beaufighter. The plane was repaired for use by others, but, on its next flight, the pilot was killed when the problem recurred. On another occasion, Miller avoided colliding with a hangar by centimetres. He then escaped death by skipping a social appointment; a V1 bomb hit the venue and killed many of the patrons. In October, he went AWL to watch a concert and was summarily discharged, but the CO revoked his decision after Miller agreed to play for his cricket team. 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 fought a German U-boat, which was sunk. Upon his return to England, Miller was promoted to flying officer on 4 November 1944.
In March 1945, Miller was deployed to the RAF station at Great Massingham in Norfolk, East Anglia. He was assigned to 169 Squadron, flying Mosquito fighter-bombers. Miller's squadron took part in missions against targets on mainland Europe in April and May 1945. They attacked V-1 and V-2 production and test launch sites on the island of Peenemünde in the Baltic Sea. On 19 April, Miller took part in an attack on a German installation at Flensburg in northern Germany. In May, his squadron was deployed to attack Westerland Airfield on the island of Sylt. One of Miller's bombs failed to release and dangled from a wing but once again he escaped death as the bomb did not explode when it fell off during the landing. Miller's next mission was delayed by poor weather, by which time Germany had surrendered. 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.
Miller's wartime exploits were to give him a greater sense of perspective when he returned to the sports field. When asked many years later by Michael Parkinson, about pressure in cricket, Miller responded: "Pressure is a Messerschmitt up your arse, playing cricket is not".