Colin Miller retires from first-class cricket

Australian cricketer Colin Miller today announced his retirement from first-class cricket, following a career that spanned 17 years.

Miller, 38, played 18 Tests for Australia, capturing 69 wickets at 26.15, including a ten-wicket haul against the West Indies at the Adelaide Oval in 2000-01. He also claimed 446 first-class wickets at 30.97 for Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania in 126 matches.

Miller's rise to the international stage came 13 years after his first-class debut for Victoria in 1985-86. He made his Test debut against Pakistan at Rawalpindi in October 1998 as a 34- year-old, following a stellar 1997-98 season for Tasmania. In that season he took an Australian record of 67 wickets in the domestic first-class competition and a Tasmanian record of 70 first-class wickets.

The right-arm medium pace and off-spin bowler made immediate impact upon his Australian debut, claiming the first of his 69 wickets with his fifth delivery in Test cricket.

Miller went on to play an important role in Australia's record 16 Test match winning streak from 1999 to 2001, claiming 35 wickets at 22.23 in seven matches.

During the 2000 and 2000-01 seasons, Miller took 32 wickets at 21.00 in six Tests, claiming five wickets in an innings on three occasions. These efforts led to him being named the Test Player of the Year at the 2001 Allan Border Medal presentation.

Miller said it was unfortunate the time had come for him to withdraw from the game.

"It will be hard to bid a final farewell to first-class cricket because the game has meant so much to me for such a long time," he said.

"I have been lucky to meet so many great people, play with fantastic team mates and make so many friends, all while playing a game I love. But my time has come and I will hold on to the magnificent memories from 17 years of first-class and international cricket.

"I retire content that I have made the most of my opportunities and I have had some great highlights along the way. Being named Test Player of the Year at the Allan Border Medal was definitely my highest individual honour, but being part of the record-breaking Australian Test team was the best period of my career.

"There have been so many people who have supported me throughout my career and shown faith in what I could do. I cannot thank them enough."

Australian Cricket Board Chief Executive Officer James Sutherland said Miller was an excellent contributor to Australian domestic and international cricket.

"Colin has enjoyed an outstanding career and will be remembered as an entertaining, popular, dedicated and inspirational cricketer," Mr Sutherland said.

"His perseverance saw him reach the international cricket level as an older, experienced and versatile cricketer and there is no doubt he had significant impact on the international arena during his 18 Tests."

Hailing from the western suburbs of Melbourne, Miller began his career as a medium-pace bowler at the Footscray Cricket Club, making his debut for Victoria in 1985-86. This was followed by four years with South Australia from 1988-89 to 1991-92.

He developed his skills as an off-spinner after suffering an ankle injury in the early 1990s and his versatility was a key to his performances for Tasmania from 1992-93 to 1999-2000. Miller still leads the Tasmanian domestic first-class wicket-takers list with 210 wickets.

Miller returned to Victoria in 2001-02. He will continue to play Premier Cricket with Footscray-Victoria University in 2002-03.

O M R W Ave BBI 5 10 SR Econ Bowling 681.5 163 1805 69 26.15 5-32 3 1 59.2 2.64

FIRST-CLASS M I NO Runs HS Ave 100 50 Ct St Batting & Fielding 126 150 31 1533 62 12.88 0 3 39 0

O M R W Ave BBI 5 10 SR Econ Bowling 4863.5 1205 13815 446 30.97 7-49 16 3 65.4 2.84