Editing Keith Miller (section)

==Early years==
Born on 28 November 1919 in the western [[Melbourne]] suburb of [[Sunshine, Victoria|Sunshine]],<ref name="Frith">{{Cite web|url=http://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/keith-miller-28030.html|title=Keith Miller|last=Frith|first=David|date=12 October 2004|website=The Independent|language=en|access-date=8 October 2019}}</ref> Miller was the youngest of Leslie and Edith Miller's four children.<ref name="p10"/><ref name="p11">Perry, p. 11.</ref><ref name=w42>Whitington, p. 42.</ref> He was named after the Australian pioneer aviator brothers [[Keith Macpherson Smith|Keith]] and [[Ross Macpherson Smith|Ross Smith]],<ref name=w42/><ref name=m61>Mallett, p. 61.</ref> who were half-way through their historic [[England to Australia flight|flight from England to Australia]] at the time Miller was born.<ref name="Pollard">{{cite book|last=Pollard|first=Jack|title=Australian Cricket:The Game and the Players|year=1988|publisher=Angus & Robertson|location=Sydney|isbn=0-207-15269-1|pages=755–759}}</ref><ref name="p10">Perry, p. 10.</ref> 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,<ref name="p11"/> relying on a solid defence and concentration in the mould of [[Bill Ponsford]].<ref name="p12">Perry, p. 12.</ref> At the age of seven, Miller's family moved to [[Elsternwick, Victoria|Elsternwick]], in Melbourne's southeast.<ref name="p12"/><ref name=w43>Whitington, p. 43.</ref> As a child, Miller was small for his age, which forced him to develop his technique rather than rely on power.<ref name="p13">Perry, p. 13.</ref><ref name=w45>Whitington, p. 45.</ref>

At the age of 12, he was selected for an under-15 Victorian schoolboys cricket team.<ref name="Coleman"/> At the time, he stood only {{convert|150|cm|ftin}} tall and wielded a sawn-off bat.<ref name="p15"/> He lacked power, but impressed with his footwork and style.<ref name="p15">Perry, p. 15.</ref><ref name="p16">Perry, p. 16.</ref> 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.<ref name="p17">Perry, p. 17.</ref><ref name=m64>Mallett, p. 64.</ref><ref name=w47>Whitington, p. 47.</ref>

Miller attended the selective [[Melbourne High School]],<ref name="p17"/> where Australian [[Test cricket|test]] captain [[Bill Woodfull]] was his mathematics teacher.<ref name="Coleman">Coleman, pp. 473–478.</ref> Miller was a mediocre student,<ref name="p18">Perry, p. 18.</ref> but Woodfull quickly noticed his cricket skills.<ref name="p19">Perry, p. 19.</ref> 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.<ref>A reference to [[Bowled]]</ref><ref name="p20">Perry, p. 20.</ref> 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.<ref name="p21">Perry, p. 21.</ref><ref name="p22">Perry, p. 22.</ref>

[[Keith Truscott]], Miller's school cricket captain, took him to a trial with local club side [[St Kilda Cricket Club|St Kilda]] at the start of the 1934–35 season, but Miller could not find a place in any of its five teams.<ref name=w47/><ref name="p21"/> Joining the local [[Victorian Sub-District Cricket Association|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.<ref name=Coleman/><ref name="p21"/><ref name=w48>Whitington, p. 48.</ref> Nevertheless, his teammate, former [[Victorian Bushrangers|Victoria]] state player [[Hughie Carroll]], spotted Miller's talent and lured him to the rival [[Casey-South Melbourne Cricket Club|South Melbourne]] club.<ref name="p22"/><ref name=w48/> Miller began playing for South Melbourne the following season.<ref name="p22"/> It was at South Melbourne that Miller met [[Ian Johnson (cricketer)|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;<ref name="p23">Perry, p. 23.</ref> Woodfull wrote in the 1936 school magazine, "Miller has Test possibilities".<ref name="p25">Perry, p. 25.</ref>

In March 1936, Miller played for South Melbourne against [[Carlton Cricket Club|Carlton]], captained by Woodfull. Miller came to the crease at 6/32.<ref name="p25"/> He guided his team to 141, putting on a stand of 65 with the last man and finishing with 61.<ref name="p26">Perry, p. 26.</ref><ref name=w49>Whitington, p. 49.</ref> The crowd gave Miller a standing ovation, and newspapers him compared him to Ponsford and [[Alan Kippax]].<ref name="p27">Perry, p. 27.</ref> The Carlton team presented him with a silver eggcup, "for sterling performance",<ref name="FabFarewell">{{cite news|title=Fab farewell for cricket legend Keith Miller|url=http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2004/10/20/1097951766524.html?from=storylhs|work=[[The Sydney Morning Herald]]|date=20 October 2004|access-date=22 December 2007}}</ref> which Woodfull presented to Miller during an algebra class.<ref name="p27"/>
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