Early life of Keith Miller

Who is 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 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 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.