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In these days without sport it is appropriate to ask: “Is this the best batting in a session?”
No, I’m not talking about Sir Donald Bradman’s 304 on a day at Headingley in 1930, where he earned a century in each of the first two sessions.
I don’t recall the carnage that Virender Sehwag caused at Brabourne Stadium in 2009-10 when he broke his own record for the fastest Test 250, with just 207 balls.
And I’m not paying tribute to Barry Richards’ 325 in 330 minutes when he pulverized a Western Australian Shield attack in Perth that included great Australian running backs Dennis Lillee and Graham McKenzie. If you’re looking for a clue to the tickets I mean, think of Richards’ opponents that day and you’re heating up.
It was a throbbing inning in 1968 by Englishman Colin “Ollie” Milburn when he was playing cricket Shield for WA against Queensland at Gabba.
ALSO READ: Colin Milburn’s Summer of ’66
On a hot, hot day, Milburn opened with Derek Chadwick and quietly moved to 61 for lunch, with WA insurance 0 to 92. On those days, the only way to get Shield scores, aside from the radio summary of the stumps, was calling a dedicated telecom number
I called at lunchtime and when I called again on the tea break, the recorded message said; “WA 0 for 327, Milburn 242 and Chadwick 76.”
“The commentator is drunk,” I thought, “nobody scores 181 in one session.” That is a gigantic departure for a team, regardless of an individual.
However, when I heard the stump summary, Ollie had scored 181 on his own. Its bulky volume had amassed just 131 balls and was, by a margin, the most runs scored in an Australian session.
Rod Marsh, who also played for WA, best summarizes his innings. “Ollie hit each shot in that session hard enough to reach the limit,” said Marsh, “it’s just that they managed to stop some.”
What makes the entries even more memorable is the commentary made by the resounding Milburn over lunch. Spying on a thirsty cricket partner, Milburn, who was sweating freely, looked at Marsh through the dressing room and said, “Damn it, Rodney, it’s hot out there. I won’t be long after lunch.”
Milburn hit 38 four and four sixes in his big show: he was a man of his word. A six was a shot that directly slammed into an unfortunate Geoff Gray fielding on the edge. Such was the power of the shot that the ball exploded in Gray’s hands, hit him in the chest and continued over the limit while the fielder was almost impaled on the pickets.
Gray received a memory of Milburn’s entries, a lifelong scar where the stitches were inserted.
Knowing Milburn and his thirst, he would have scorned rehydration in an ice bath that night, instead of drinking what was on the ice.
ALSO READ: Colin Milburn – an indomitable spirit
Milburn only played nine Tests before a career ending accident due to the conservative nature of the England national teams in those days. He made his way up to a century in his last test innings and, just as he seemed ready to establish a permanent place on the England side, he tragically lost an eye in a car accident.
I played two tests against Milburn in the 1968 Ashes series. He scored a memorable 83 at Lord’s that included two sixes. I don’t remember the second, but I will never forget the first.
He hit the scoreboard with such force that some of the numbers flew off their hinges and rained down on the spectators.
Appropriately, the last time I saw Ollie was in a Manchester bar during the 1989 Ashes series. Unfortunately, it was not long after that night that Ollie died of a heart attack at the age of 48. A colleague of mine called to tell me the bad news: “Ollie died in the parking lot of the Britannia pub.”
“Was he going in or going out?” I asked.
“Apparently I was dating,” was the reply.
“That’s good,” I said, “I would have died happy.”
And I bet the clients reported from 2038 at the Gabba on November 22, 1968, go to their graves believing they witnessed the best hitting in a single session.
