Colin Milburn
Encyclopedia
Colin Milburn (23 October 1941 – 28 February 1990) was an English
cricket
er, who played in nine Test
matches for England, before an accident led to the loss of much of his sight and prompted his retirement.
Cricker writer, Colin Bateman, commented, "he was a clean, natural hitter of the ball who had an infectious zest for the game and life". Bateman added, "he hit the ball with the strength of a lumberjack and he had the courage of a lion, but he was no neanderthal clubber".
, County Durham
. His father, a local tradesman, was a noted professional
player in Tyneside
league
cricket. The young Colin showed exceptional talent at the game, making his first-team debut at the age of thirteen. As a seventeen-year-old school pupil, he made his debut for Durham
(then still a Minor county) in 1959, against the touring Indian team. Playing at Sunderland, Milburn scored a dynamic century, which brought him to the attention of the first class
counties.
because they offered 10 shillings a week more than Warwickshire
. He soon made a name for himself with his forceful strokeplay and useful medium-paced bowling
, backed up by a larger-than-life, gregarious and convivial personality. By 1963 he was being talked about for the England team, but an indifferent game for MCC
against Frank Worrell
's West Indians meant he was passed over. He also taught P.E during the off season at Cherry Orchard SM School in Northampton, just about a mile from the site of his later accident.
duck. He redeemed himself with 94 in the second innings as England went down to a heavy defeat. An aggressive century (126 not out) helped England to draw the Second Test, and despite standing up courageously to the formidable Caribbean
pace attack in the following matches, he was dropped for the final Test - supposedly because his bulk hindered his mobility in the field. Milburn's riposte was typical of the man, an innings of 203 for Northamptonshire against Essex
. His swashbuckling season earned him a nomination as one of Wisden
's Cricketers of the Year
in the 1967 edition.
That winter, Milburn travelled to Australia
, where he played Sheffield Shield
cricket for Western Australia
. He played a Test against India and against Pakistan in 1967, and was selected to tour the West Indies in the winter, where he was much more successful off the field than on. He was picked for the Lord's
Test against Australia in 1968, scoring 83, but injury ruled him out of the next two Tests, before returning for the final Test at The Oval
. In the English winter of 1968/9, Milburn was left out of the MCC
squad that was due to visit South Africa
. The tour was dramatically cancelled over the hosts' objections to the presence in the touring party of Basil D'Oliveira
, a Cape Coloured cricketer who had moved to England in pursuit of his first-class cricket career.
Milburn returned to Perth
, where he enjoyed a prolific season for Western Australia. The highlight was an innings of 243 against Queensland
in Brisbane
, where he scored 181 runs between lunch and tea. Milburn was called up in an emergency to reinforce the MCC touring party in Pakistan. He scored a spectacular 139 in the Karachi
Test in March 1969, before it was abandoned due to rioting. It was his highest Test score in what would prove to be his final Test innings.
for the 1969 season, he started out with 158 against Leicestershire
. On 23 May, Milburn was returning home when he was involved in a motor accident. This cost him the sight of his left eye, the lead eye for a right-handed batsman. His right eye was also damaged. Taking as an example the Nawab of Pataudi
, who had resumed his career after suffering eye damage, Milburn harboured thoughts of a comeback. On 8 January 1971, The Times
reported his retirement, but Milburn did return in 1973 and 1974. However, he was a shadow of his former self, and these games did little beyond reducing his career batting average
.
in Newton Aycliffe
, and died in the ambulance on the way to hospital. His funeral was attended by hundreds, including ex-players and fans, with Ian Botham
one of the pallbearers. Nickname
d "Ollie" in reference to Oliver Hardy
, Milburn never married. He is buried at Burnopfield.
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
er, who played in nine Test
Test cricket
Test cricket is the longest form of the sport of cricket. Test matches are played between national representative teams with "Test status", as determined by the International Cricket Council , with four innings played between two teams of 11 players over a period of up to a maximum five days...
matches for England, before an accident led to the loss of much of his sight and prompted his retirement.
Cricker writer, Colin Bateman, commented, "he was a clean, natural hitter of the ball who had an infectious zest for the game and life". Bateman added, "he hit the ball with the strength of a lumberjack and he had the courage of a lion, but he was no neanderthal clubber".
Early life
Milburn was born in BurnopfieldBurnopfield
Burnopfield is a village in County Durham, in England. It is situated north of Stanley, close to the River Derwent and is 564 feet above sea level.A village with local school, churches and newsagents...
, County Durham
County Durham
County Durham is a ceremonial county and unitary district in north east England. The county town is Durham. The largest settlement in the ceremonial county is the town of Darlington...
. His father, a local tradesman, was a noted professional
Professional sports
Professional sports, as opposed to amateur sports, are sports in which athletes receive payment for their performance. Professional athleticism has come to the fore through a combination of developments. Mass media and increased leisure have brought larger audiences, so that sports organizations...
player in Tyneside
Tyneside
Tyneside is a conurbation in North East England, defined by the Office of National Statistics, which is home to over 80% of the population of Tyne and Wear. It includes the city of Newcastle upon Tyne and the Metropolitan Boroughs of Gateshead, North Tyneside and South Tyneside — all settlements on...
league
Sports league
League is a term commonly used to describe a group of sports teams or individual athletes that compete against each other in a specific sport. At its simplest, it may be a local group of amateur athletes who form teams among themselves and compete on weekends; at its most complex, it can be an...
cricket. The young Colin showed exceptional talent at the game, making his first-team debut at the age of thirteen. As a seventeen-year-old school pupil, he made his debut for Durham
Durham County Cricket Club
Durham County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh national cricket structure, representing the historic county of Durham. Its limited overs team is called the Durham Dynamos. Their kit colours are blue with yellow trim and the shirt sponsor was...
(then still a Minor county) in 1959, against the touring Indian team. Playing at Sunderland, Milburn scored a dynamic century, which brought him to the attention of the first class
First-class cricket
First-class cricket is a class of cricket that consists of matches of three or more days' scheduled duration, that are between two sides of eleven players and are officially adjudged first-class by virtue of the standard of the competing teams...
counties.
First-class career
In 1960, Milburn signed for NorthamptonshireNorthamptonshire County Cricket Club
Northamptonshire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Northamptonshire. Its limited overs team is called the Northants Steelbacks. The traditional club colour is Maroon. During the...
because they offered 10 shillings a week more than Warwickshire
Warwickshire County Cricket Club
Warwickshire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Warwickshire. Its limited overs team is called the Warwickshire Bears. Their kit colours are black and gold and the shirt sponsor...
. He soon made a name for himself with his forceful strokeplay and useful medium-paced bowling
Bowling (cricket)
In the sport of cricket, bowling is the action of propelling the ball toward the wicket defended by a batsman. A player skilled at bowling is called a bowler; a bowler who is also a competent batsman is known as an all-rounder...
, backed up by a larger-than-life, gregarious and convivial personality. By 1963 he was being talked about for the England team, but an indifferent game for MCC
Marylebone Cricket Club
Marylebone Cricket Club is a cricket club in London founded in 1787. Its influence and longevity now witness it as a private members' club dedicated to the development of cricket. It owns, and is based at, Lord's Cricket Ground in St John's Wood, London NW8. MCC was formerly the governing body of...
against Frank Worrell
Frank Worrell
Sir Frank Mortimer Maglinne Worrell is sometimes referred to by his nickname of Tae and was a West Indies cricketer and Jamaican senator...
's West Indians meant he was passed over. He also taught P.E during the off season at Cherry Orchard SM School in Northampton, just about a mile from the site of his later accident.
Test career
Milburn had a reputation of an all-or-nothing batsman, sparkling centuries alternating with indifferent scores, but by 1966 he had forced himself back into the Test reckoning. Selected for the First Test against the West Indies, Milburn had the most ignominious start for an opener, run out for a first-inningsInnings
An inning, or innings, is a fixed-length segment of a game in any of a variety of sports – most notably cricket and baseball during which one team attempts to score while the other team attempts to prevent the first from scoring. In cricket, the term innings is both singular and plural and is...
duck. He redeemed himself with 94 in the second innings as England went down to a heavy defeat. An aggressive century (126 not out) helped England to draw the Second Test, and despite standing up courageously to the formidable Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
pace attack in the following matches, he was dropped for the final Test - supposedly because his bulk hindered his mobility in the field. Milburn's riposte was typical of the man, an innings of 203 for Northamptonshire against Essex
Essex County Cricket Club
Essex County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh national cricket structure, representing the historic county of Essex. Its limited overs team is called the Essex Eagles, their team colours this season are blue.The club plays most of its home games...
. His swashbuckling season earned him a nomination as one of Wisden
Wisden
The Wisden Group was a group of companies formed by John Wisden & Co Ltd, publishers of Wisden Cricketers' Almanack. As well as John Wisden & Co, the group included the The Wisden Cricketer magazine, Cricinfo – the world's highest traffic cricket website – and the Hawk-Eye computerised...
's Cricketers of the Year
Wisden Cricketers of the Year
The Wisden Cricketers of the Year are cricketers selected for the honour by the annual publication Wisden Cricketers' Almanack, based primarily on their "influence on the previous English season"...
in the 1967 edition.
That winter, Milburn travelled to Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, where he played Sheffield Shield
Pura Cup
The Sheffield Shield is the domestic cricket competition of Australia. The tournament is contested between teams from the six states of Australia. Prior to the Shield being established, a number of intercolonial matches were played. The Shield, donated by Lord Sheffield, was first contested during...
cricket for Western Australia
Western Warriors
The Western Australia cricket team are an Australian first class cricket team representing the state of Western Australia...
. He played a Test against India and against Pakistan in 1967, and was selected to tour the West Indies in the winter, where he was much more successful off the field than on. He was picked for the Lord's
Lord's Cricket Ground
Lord's Cricket Ground is a cricket venue in St John's Wood, London. Named after its founder, Thomas Lord, it is owned by Marylebone Cricket Club and is the home of Middlesex County Cricket Club, the England and Wales Cricket Board , the European Cricket Council and, until August 2005, the...
Test against Australia in 1968, scoring 83, but injury ruled him out of the next two Tests, before returning for the final Test at The Oval
The Oval
The Kia Oval, still commonly referred to by its original name of The Oval, is an international cricket ground in Kennington, in the London Borough of Lambeth. In the past it was also sometimes called the Kennington Oval...
. In the English winter of 1968/9, Milburn was left out of the MCC
Marylebone Cricket Club
Marylebone Cricket Club is a cricket club in London founded in 1787. Its influence and longevity now witness it as a private members' club dedicated to the development of cricket. It owns, and is based at, Lord's Cricket Ground in St John's Wood, London NW8. MCC was formerly the governing body of...
squad that was due to visit South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
. The tour was dramatically cancelled over the hosts' objections to the presence in the touring party of Basil D'Oliveira
Basil D'Oliveira
Basil Lewis D'Oliveira CBE , known affectionately around the world as "Dolly", was a South African-born English cricketer. D'Oliveira was classified as 'coloured' under the apartheid regime, and hence barred from first-class cricket, resulting in his emigration to England...
, a Cape Coloured cricketer who had moved to England in pursuit of his first-class cricket career.
Milburn returned to Perth
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
, where he enjoyed a prolific season for Western Australia. The highlight was an innings of 243 against Queensland
Queensland Bulls
The Queensland cricket team, nicknamed the Bulls, are the Brisbane-based Queensland representative cricket team in Australia's domestic cricket tournaments:*Sheffield Shield, 4-day matches with first-class status, since the 1926/27 season...
in Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
, where he scored 181 runs between lunch and tea. Milburn was called up in an emergency to reinforce the MCC touring party in Pakistan. He scored a spectacular 139 in the Karachi
Karachi
Karachi is the largest city, main seaport and the main financial centre of Pakistan, as well as the capital of the province of Sindh. The city has an estimated population of 13 to 15 million, while the total metropolitan area has a population of over 18 million...
Test in March 1969, before it was abandoned due to rioting. It was his highest Test score in what would prove to be his final Test innings.
Injury and retirement
Returning to NorthamptonNorthampton
Northampton is a large market town and local government district in the East Midlands region of England. Situated about north-west of London and around south-east of Birmingham, Northampton lies on the River Nene and is the county town of Northamptonshire. The demonym of Northampton is...
for the 1969 season, he started out with 158 against Leicestershire
Leicestershire County Cricket Club
Leicestershire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh national cricket structure, representing the historic county of Leicestershire. It has also been representative of the county of Rutland....
. On 23 May, Milburn was returning home when he was involved in a motor accident. This cost him the sight of his left eye, the lead eye for a right-handed batsman. His right eye was also damaged. Taking as an example the Nawab of Pataudi
Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi
Mansoor Ali Khan or Mansur Ali Khan , sometimes M.A.K. Pataudi , nicknamed Tiger Pataudi, was an Indian cricketer and former captain of the Indian cricket team...
, who had resumed his career after suffering eye damage, Milburn harboured thoughts of a comeback. On 8 January 1971, The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
reported his retirement, but Milburn did return in 1973 and 1974. However, he was a shadow of his former self, and these games did little beyond reducing his career batting average
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
.
After cricket
Milburn continued in league cricket, and performed a number of jobs in the world of cricket, including radio commentary. On 28 February 1990, he collapsed with a heart attackMyocardial infarction
Myocardial infarction or acute myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, results from the interruption of blood supply to a part of the heart, causing heart cells to die...
in Newton Aycliffe
Newton Aycliffe
Newton Aycliffe is a town in County Durham, England. Founded in 1947 under the New Towns Act of 1946, it is the oldest new town in the north of England.-Geography:...
, and died in the ambulance on the way to hospital. His funeral was attended by hundreds, including ex-players and fans, with Ian Botham
Ian Botham
Sir Ian Terence Botham OBE is a former England Test cricketer and Test team captain, and current cricket commentator. He was a genuine all-rounder with 14 centuries and 383 wickets in Test cricket, and remains well-known by his nickname "Beefy"...
one of the pallbearers. Nickname
Nickname
A nickname is "a usually familiar or humorous but sometimes pointed or cruel name given to a person or place, as a supposedly appropriate replacement for or addition to the proper name.", or a name similar in origin and pronunciation from the original name....
d "Ollie" in reference to Oliver Hardy
Oliver Hardy
Oliver Hardy was an American comic actor famous as one half of Laurel and Hardy, the classic double act that began in the era of silent films and lasted nearly 30 years, from 1927 to 1955.-Early life:...
, Milburn never married. He is buried at Burnopfield.