Joseph Miller (cricketer)
| Personal information | ||
|---|---|---|
| Full name | Joseph Miller | |
| Born | England | |
| Died | Bridge, Kent | |
| Batting style | right-handed batsman (RHB) | |
| Bowling style | none | |
| Role | specialist batsman | |
| Domestic team information | ||
| Years | Team | |
| c.1768 to 1783 | Kent | |
| Career statistics | ||
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| Source: Scores and Biographies, 29 June 2010 | ||
Joseph (aka Richard) Miller (died October 1784 at Bridge, Kent) was a noted English cricketer who is generally considered to have been one of the greatest batsmen of the 18th century. He is mostly associated with Kent but also made appearances for All-England and Surrey. Probably first recorded in the 1768 season, Miller made 54 known first-class appearances from 1772 to 1783, though he certainly played in many matches of similar status whose records have been lost or are incomplete. He was unquestionably an outstanding batsman and probably second only to John Small in the 18th century. He made numerous good scores as the match details consistently show.
The first mention of a player called Miller in important matches was in the Caterham v Bourne match on Friday, 10 June 1768. This Miller was playing for Caterham, a Surrey team, while the "crack" batsman of the 1770s played invariably for Kent teams. Caterham won the match by 14 runs and Miller scored 3 and 20. Apart from the result and the individual scores, no other details have survived. He was next recorded in 1769 playing for Caterham against Hambledon at Guildford Bason, Hambledon winning by 4 wickets. No details of individual performances have survived except a brief report that Hambledon's victory was due to the batting of John Small and John Bayton.
More is known about Miller's career from 1772 when scorecards began to be kept on a habitual basis. The first definite mention of him is in a "fives" single wicket match between Kent and Hampshire at the Artillery Ground in June 1772. He took part in all three first-class matches recorded in the 1772 season. In the second, playing for All-England against Hampshire at Guildford Bason, he was top scorer for his team in both innings with 30 out of 126 and then 26 out of only 86.
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