Early Life Of Keith Miller
This article chronicles the life of Keith Miller, an Australian Test cricketer and Australian rules footballer, from his birth on 28 November 1919 until 20 August 1940, when he left civilian life and joined the Militia (army reserve) during World War II. Born in the town of Sunshine on the outskirts of Melbourne, Miller made sport the focal point of his early life. The youngest of four children of Scottish descent, Miller joined his siblings in being inculcated with a love of sport by their father, playing football in winter and cricket in summer. Miller's father—an engineer and sportslover—emphasised the importance of technique over power; Miller benefited as he was of small stature during his childhood and could not rely on brute strength. Miller yearned to be a horse racing jockey, as he felt that he would not have the physique to succeed in cricket or football.
Miller received his secondary education at the academically selective Melbourne High School, where his mathematics teacher was the incumbent Australian cricket captain Bill Woodfull. He was an academically poor student who neglected his studies but excelled at sports. He made the school's first-choice cricket team at the age of 14 and gained attention for his technical and defensive ability, which was compared to that of Woodfull. Miller was rejected by the St Kilda Cricket Club so he joined South Melbourne in district competition, making his first-grade debut at the start of the 1935–36 season, still only 162 cm (5 ft 4 in) tall. In one match, he scored 61 runs to orchestrate a lower-order fightback in a low-scoring match against Woodfull's Carlton team, prompting his teacher to award him a silver eggcup during maths class. It remained one of his most treasured possessions.
In the following year, Miller grew 28 cm (11 in) and began to play cricket and football with more power. Leaving school at the end of year 10, having just turned 17, Miller played cricket for the Victorian Colts for two seasons, before breaking through to be selected for his first-class debut late in the 1937–38 season. He played sporadically until making his Sheffield Shield debut during the 1939–40 season and scoring his maiden century. During this time, Miller played exclusively as a batsman; he was yet to become a fast bowler. Miller's football career also took off. Starting in 1937, Miller played for the Brighton Football Club in the Victorian Football Association for three years, mainly as a defender. At the start of his fourth season, he restricted Bob Pratt, regarded as the best forward of the time, to one goal for the match and was named best on ground. He was promptly signed by the St Kilda Football Club to play in the leading Victorian Football League in 1940, where his team came second to last.
Read more about Early Life Of Keith Miller: Birth, Early Schooling, Melbourne High School, Club Cricket, Representative Beginnings
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