The night I met the great Keith Miller
Greg Briggs | February 24, 2023
As a kid and young cricketer growing up I got to hear my dad share a lot of stories about his cricket career and he loved nothing more than sharing his tales of the great Keith Miller.
You see my dad was Ron Briggs and he was fortunate to play 15 first-class games for NSW during the golden years of the 1950s under the leadership of Miller and dads opening batting partner for a lot of the games he played was none other than Arthur Morris.
It wasn’t until I was older that I appreciated his Miller stories and it was only Keith Miller that could get away with a lot of his ways due to his great all-round ability.
Not everyone could bat 4 and open the bowling for Australia.
Dad had so many stories some I can share, others I can’t.
In dad’s first game for NSW under Miller leadership, Jimmy Burke said to him, “whatever you do, don’t ask Miller where to field” and Dad asked him “why?” Burke replied, “just don’t, pick somewhere and go there” in which he did and to dads amazement with no field placings coming from the skipper so he just kept picking positions in the field of his judgement through the course of the day.
It wasn’t long before Miller found out about dads love of the horses and that enjoyed a punt so he ended up next to Miller in the slips with Miller at first and dad at second with Miller talking about all sorts of things particularly the horse racing game but there was never any chat regarding the cricket match being played. He would make bowling changes and he would only bowl if he was in the mood.
As I working my way through the Grades at the Northern District Club in Sydney I was fortunate to be selected for the Australian Under 19s tour of Pakistan.
The team gathered at the Travelodge in Rushcutters Bay in February 1981 for a couple of days to get to know our fellow squad members before flying out to Karachi.
On the day before we were due to leave we had a net session at the SCG and it was followed with a function put on by the ACB at cricket headquarters in the City where we were told our special guest for the night would be none other than Keith Miller.
I couldn’t believe it.
I rang dad as soon as we got back to the Hotel and he just laughed.
So we filed in that night looking flash in our blazers and ties and Miller was sitting on a corner of a table as we entered and one by one we got introduced to the great man.
When it came to my turn he looked at me and said, “Briggs, Briggs”, I replied saying “yes, I’m Ron Briggs’s son” in which he replied, “well bugger me!!”
As the night went on I heard from the other side of the room the booming voice of Miller singing out, “Briggsy, get over here I’ve got a few stories about your old man I want to tell you.”
I thought this bloke didn’t know me from a bar of soap a couple of hours ago now we’re having a drink together like we were best mates with Miller sharing stories about my dad from those great years where I think they won the Sheffield Shield Competition just about every year throughout the 1950s.
What a night it was, something I’ve cherished and have never forgotten. I’d like to add that boarding the plane the next morning for Pakistan, I wasn’t in a good state if you know what I mean.
