CRICKET FROM THE NORTH: Miller Takes All Ten

By Mike Latham

The beauty of watching club cricket is that you never know what will happen when you turn up at a match.

On Saturday, 30 August 2008 I saw one of the most incredible games of cricket I have ever had the pleasure of witnessing- the memories still fresh over 12 years on.

Chris Miller took ten wickets in an innings- the only time I have ever witnessed that feat.

At the time I was involved as vice chairman and webmaster of the Northern Premier Cricket League, writing weekly reports for the website and Facebook pages and makings lots of friends as I travelled around the 12 member clubs, a warm welcome wherever I went.

I had a sturdy camera with trusty monopod and took lots of photos, spending my Saturday nights and early Sunday mornings putting images online, creating lots of talking points and cheerful banter.

The League was highly competitive and had some great clubs, but beneath the hard-nosed exterior I found some fantastic cricket people and the officials and players were a joy to deal with. Many have remained friends.

In 2008 Netherfield recruited Callum Ferguson, a young batsman from South Australia. He was class. I remember an early season game at Parkside Road when he and the Netherfield captain, Chris Parry, took apart Leyland’s very good bowling attack, both players reaching unbeaten hundreds.

They take a lot to be impressed at Netherfield by players from overseas. After all, previous professionals include David Boon and Jacques Kallis, among others. But Ferguson, highly skilled and highly personable, quickly made his mark.

With three games to go before the season’s end Netherfield were engaged in a four-team challenge for the title alongside Kendal, Blackpool and Morecambe and had high hopes of continuing their progress at Carnforth.

The weather had been awful in the days leading up to the game but the Lodge Quarry playing area was playable despite days of incessant rain, though conditions were difficult.

Carnforth had recruited Wayne Madsen as substitute professional as their classy South African batsman Ryan Bailey had returned home prematurely.

Madsen was then the professional at Unsworth in the Central Lancashire League, a league that favoured Sunday as its main playing day and so was often available for sub-pro duties.

Highly regarded at Unsworth for the way he galvanized the club on and off the field, he played for Carnforth on several occasions and always impressed by the way he went about his duties. It was no surprise when he went to on enjoy a successful career in county cricket with Derbyshire.

In difficult conditions, wet and damp, Netherfield, batting first, struggled against a keen Carnforth attack, father and son combination Gareth and John Denwood, Cumberland CCC opening bowler Adam Cowperthwaite and Madsen a testing quartet.

Ferguson, as he did all summer, rose above it all, battling his way through the difficult early stages, then growing in stature as he got his eye in, eventually reaching his hundred with a leg-side shot off Madsen. Only Parry, a Carnforth lad who now plays for both the town’s cricket team and as goalkeeper for Carnforth Rangers in the West Lancashire League, survived alongside him for long.

Ferguson made an unbeaten 103 in his side’s 185 for 9, Parry the only other contributor of note with 21. Ferguson’s innings was a masterly one and showed how quickly he had adapted to conditions far removed from his native Australia.

Unbeknown to us all, the drama was still to come.

Carnforth set about their reply with Chris Miller, a tall, talented young off-spinner quickly joining the attack from the pavilion end.

I got to know Chris well and he’s a dedicated cricketer who played minor counties for Cumberland. He’s the long-standing stalwart at Kendal CC, Netherfield’s arch-rivals- he had a two-year stint at Netherfield for which he’s since been largely forgiven at Shap Road.

I always thought Chris was hugely talented but maybe lacked the inner drive or confidence to capitalise on his obvious ability. At the time players like Luis Reece, Alex Davies and Richard Gleeson were forging their careers in the league and would go on to flourish in the county game and, had he a little more self-confidence, I’m sure Miller could have joined them. He has a lovely, smooth action and bowls from a high arm and is very knowledgeable and dedicated cricketer, a deep thinker and passionate about the game.

This was his day as Netherfield, vocal and confident, set about the home side, the close fielders eager for their prey.

Marc Hadwin, a hugely experienced and talented leg-spin bowler quickly entered the attack from the one Pint Wall End but on this occasion acted merely as a foil.

Miller quickly removed both openers, then worked his way through the batting line-up. Madsen was a major obstacle, batting confidently and using the reverse sweep- then rarely seen- to good effect.

I had got to know Callum Ferguson well over that summer and, fielding near me, he grew increasingly excited as Miller’s wicket tally grew.

‘I’ve never seen anything like this,’ Callum confided, ‘Can he take all ten?’

Miller simply routed Carnforth in his inspired spell of bowling, claiming three victims bowled, one lbw and six caught as the home side were dismissed for 99. Ferguson claimed the final catch to dismiss Adam Cowperthwaite and the wild celebrations began.

Madsen with an impressive 57 provided the only real resistance, Darren Moore the only other batsman to reach double figures.

Miller became only the second bowler in Northern League history to claim all ten wickets in an innings, following on from Morecambe professional Colin Hilton who collected 10 for 39 in 1969.

It was day to savour and, buoyed by that success, Netherfield went on to win the league, defeating Morecambe in the final game.

Ferguson beat Terry Hunte’s long-standing league record, scoring 1,381 runs during the season at an average of 106 and went on to represent Australia, as anyone who saw him play that season knew he would.

But this was Miller’s day- and team man that he was, no one was more delighted than Ferguson.

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