Keith Miller With The Australian Cricket Team in England in 1948 - Fifth Test

Fifth Test

The teams proceeded to The Oval for the Fifth Test. England elected to bat on a rain-affected pitch. Analysts questioned the move and predicted that Bradman would have bowled if he had won the toss.

Dewes and Hutton opened for England. Yardley attracted criticism for exposing the debutant Dewes to the new ball attack of Lindwall and Miller. Dewes took a single from Lindwall’s opening over and thus faced the start of the second over, which was bowled by Miller, who had troubled him in the past. During the Victory Tests in 1945, Miller had repeatedly dismissed Dewes, and during a match for Cambridge University against the Australians earlier in the season, the English batsman used towels to pad his torso against the Australian paceman's short balls. During his short innings, Dewes was visibly nervous and kept on moving around, unable to stand still.

Miller caused a stoppage after his first ball to sprinkle sawdust on the slippery and damp crease. With his second ball, he bowled Dewes—who was playing across the line—middle stump for one with an inswinger to leave England at 2/1. He then removed Jack Crapp caught behind from an outside edge for a 23-ball duck, leaving England at 4/23 as play was adjourned for lunch. The paceman ended with 2/5 from eight overs as Lindwall (6/20) cut down the home team for 52 with a display of express swing bowling. In his last Test innings for the summer, Miller scored five before overbalancing, falling forward, and being stumped. Australia made 389 and led by 337 on the first innings on the second afternoon. Bowling for the second time, Miller struck Crapp in the head with a bouncer, before bowling him for nine. He then extracted an edge from Hutton—who fell for 64, having top-scored in both innings—to wicket-keeper Tallon, leaving England at 4/153. Miller ended with 2/22 as Australia won by an innings and took a 4–0 series win.