Colin Milburn
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 England (ENG) |
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| Batting style | Right-hand bat | |
| Bowling type | Right-arm medium | |
| Tests | First-class | |
| Matches | 9 | 255 |
| Runs scored | 654 | 13262 |
| Batting average | 46.71 | 33.07 |
| 100s/50s | 2/2 | 23/75 |
| Top score | 139 | 243 |
| Balls bowled | - | 7033 |
| Wickets | - | 99 |
| Bowling average | - | 32.03 |
| 5 wickets in innings | - | 1 |
| 10 wickets in match | - | - |
| Best bowling | - | 6/59 |
| Catches/stumpings | 7/- | 224/- |
Colin Milburn (23 October 1941 – 28 February 1990) was an English cricketer who played in nine Test matches. Noted for his substantial build and his buccaneering style, unusual in an opening batsman, there are few players who have played relatively little Test cricket who are remembered with so much affection so long after their hey-dey.
Milburn was born in Consett co. Durham and brought up in the pit village of Burnopfield. 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.
In 1960, Milburn signed for Northamptonshire, reputedly because they offered a little more cash than their rivals. 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.
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 West Indies, Milburn had the most ignominious start for an opener, run out for a first-innings duck. He redeemed himself with 94 in the second innings as England went down to a heavy defeat. An aggressive century 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 first 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 Tests. In the winter 1968/9, MCC was due to visit South Africa, but 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. This overshadowed a controversy caused by Milburn's omission from the party.
Milburn returned to Perth, where he enjoyed a prolific season for Western Australia. The highlight was a prodigious innings of 243 against Queensland in Brisbane. Milburn was called up in an emergency to reinforce the MCC touring party in Pakistan. He scored a spectacular 139 in the Karachi Test before it was abandoned due to rioting. Returning to Northampton for the 1969 season, he started out with 158 against Leicestershire. Then tragedy struck. On 23 May, Milburn was returning home when he was involved in a motor accident, the gossip was that it was drink-related. This cost him the sight of his left eye, the lead eye for a right-handed batsman. His right eye too was 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, these games did little for Milburn beyond reducing his career batting average.
Milburn continued to struggle on in league cricket, and performed a number of jobs in the world of cricket, but it was a directionless life. On 28 February 1990, he collapsed with a heart attack in Newton Aycliffe, and died in the ambulance on the way to hospital. Nicknamed "Ollie" in reference to Oliver Hardy, Milburn never married. He is buried at Burnopfield.
