The Greatest Player of Every Decade

The 1940s:

Keith Miller was a powerful stroke-player and a lethal bowler

Keith Miller (AUS)

Like the 1910s, the 1940s saw Test cricket go on hiatus due to war. Many of cricket's greatest players had their careers and even their lives cut short.

When Test cricket resumed in 1946, there were many players eager to make up for lost time.

Bradman returned to average even more than he did in the previous decade. Everton Weekes harboured in a new generation of great West Indian batsmen, at one point scoring five consecutive centuries, and Ray Lindwall began his career bowling at paces that had seldom been seen before.

But it was Lindwall's opening bowling partner who seemed most eager to make up for his lost years.

Keith Miller was 26, and possibly in his prime when he made his Test debut, having begun his first-class as a teenager. In only his second game, Miller hit 76 before routing a strong England batting line-up, taking 7/60.

In the 1940s, during which he was part of Australia's famous "Invincibles," Miller was, along with Bradman, the best player in a formidable squad. While Bradman was worth two players due to his batting, Miller was worth two players in that he could make the side for either his batting or bowling alone.

In the 1940s Miller averaged 43.10 with the bat and 20.68 with the ball. But even these impressive statistics don't show the extent of Miller's presence on the field. With the bat, Miller was known as an aggressive stroke-player, someone who could turn a game in a session. He was also capable of generating impressive pace with the ball, forming a mouth-watering partnership with fellow quick Ray Lindwall.

Miller's career would stretch well beyond the 1940s, but he was able to produce his best less and less as the years rolled by. Despite, this, and despite missing some of his best cricketing years to the war, Miller is often viewed as Australia's greatest allrounder ever, even surpassing the likes of Richie Benaud, Alan Davidson and Monty Noble.

West Indies captain John Goddard highlighted Miller's value, saying "Give us Keith Miller and we'll beat the world."