Damian Mills
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Damian Mills (1979–2003) was a Canadian cricketer.
Damian Mills was born July 15, 1979 in Winnipeg, Manitoba, the son of Dr. Barry Mills and Rona Mills. He had two sisters, Cresida and Eleanor. His enthusiasm for cricket started in 1985 when he was visiting England on a family vacation and saw his first cricket match. Before the family returned from their vacation Damian’s father presented him with a size-2 junior bat. Dr. Mills strongly encouraged young Damian’s interest in cricket. Damian started to play organized cricket in 1986 at age 7 at Lincoln Elementary School. In 1989 he joined the Manitoba Cricket Association Junior League.
In 1992, days before his 13th birthday, Damian was a member of The Manitoba Junior Provincial Team and for the first time he tried out for The Canadian National Youth Team in Toronto. This was also his first time he was away from home alone. Damian was amongst the youngest athletes at the trials. He did not make the team but the experience was invaluable. It was during the trials for 1992 that Damian showed what he was made of. On the first day of the tournament during the morning practice session he was hit very hard in the head, knocked down, by a ball, and spent the rest of the day in the emergency room of a Toronto hospital. The next day, although he was scared and his confidence shattered, he refused to sit out. He went on to play very hard throughout the tournament.
Also, in 1992 Damian made his first appearance in the MCA Senior League. He was a member of the Winnipeg Juniors Cricket Club(WJCC) but he played only two league games that year.
Damian became a regular member of the WJCC in 1993 when his main role was as a bowler. Due to injuries he was forced to give up bowling and began to concentrate on his batting. It is with his performance with the bat that Damian made his mark in cricket. In 1994 Damian was invited by the Manitoba Cricket Association (MCA) to the MCA Senior Training Camp. The camp took place during the winter months. In 1995 Damian first represented Manitoba on the Senior Provincial Team in the Western Provincial Championship. Damian’s highlight from this competition was opening the batting against British Columbia and scoring 42 runs. Returning from this competition at age 16 he scored his first century in the MCA Senior League: 111 runs not out. Damian was an integral member of the Manitoba Senior Provincial Team since then.
In 1996 Manitoba and Alberta started the Annual Western Canada U25 Championship, later to be joined by British Columbia. Damian played in every tournament, eight in total. He often tallied up the most runs scored by an individual in this tournament. During this time Damian became a batting force to be reckoned with in Manitoba.
In 1997 Damian scored the most runs in the Manitoba Senior League. He repeated this performance five more times in 1998, 1999, 2001, 2002 and in his final season, 2003.
Damian played for Canada for the first time in 1997 in the final International Youth Tournament in Bermuda. He again represented Canada in 1998 at The NorTel West Indies Youth Tournament in Trinidad and Tobago.
In 1999 Damian’s dream to play for the Canadian National Senior Team was realized. He was selected to two Canadian teams: Canada Under-23 and The Canadian National Senior Team. In October 1999 he played for Canada in the West Indies Cricket Board’s Red Stripe Bowl in Antigua. He went on to play in the 2000 Red Stripe bowl. Also in 2000, Damian was selected by an Ilford Cricket Club from England for a tour to India.
Damian was a dedicated to his cricket career and no less to the promotion of the sport and the development of youth cricketers. Regardless of how demanding his own goals were Damian always found time for young cricketers. He was a coach at junior camps, schools, community centers and tournaments. He also made time to be an administrator of the sport. He was committed to an increasingly strong cricket program in Manitoba.
Despite his hectic schedule, Damian maintained a strict training programme with the intention of making the Canadian National Team again. He spent one winter playing in New Zealand and in 2003 to play at a higher, more competitive level he traveled at his own expense to Toronto on several weekends to play in the Toronto and District Cricket League.
In addition to his cricket activities, Damian was committed to earning a degree in business, which he started to pursue in 1997. The demands of cricket and university would often collide but Damian managed both, although the pursuit of the degree would be longer than normal. He continued his studies and he would have graduated in April of 2005 from the University of Manitoba.
Damian was an alter server in the church from age 8 to 21. During this time he helped to train many young servers to follow in his footsteps.
Damian died unexpectedly in his sleep on Monday November 17, 2003 at the age of 24. He had not been ill and there was no undetected medical condition.
The Damian Mills Junior Cricket Foundation was established in his honor. The fund’s purpose is to continue Damian’s work in promoting the sport of cricket and to serve as a source of encouragement and inspiration to young cricketers.
Summary of Damian's cricket career:
Teams: Canada, Canada U-23, Canada U-19, Manitoba, Manitoba U-25, The Winnipeg Juniors Cricket Club and Lincoln Elementary School
Batting Style: Right-Hand Opener
Bowling Style: Right-Arm Medium Pace Major Tours
1995: Western Canada Provincial Tournament, Vancouver
1997: International Youth Tournament, Bermuda
1998: Nortel West Indies Youth Tournament, Trinidad and Tobago
1999: Canada U-23 vs Bermuda, Toronto
1999: WICB Red Stripe Bowl, Antigua
1999: Four month training tour in New Zealand
2000: WICB Red Stripe Bowl, Jamaica
2000: Ilford Cricket Club (England) tour of India
1996 – 2003: Western Canada Under-25 Provincial Championship, Edmonton
Accomplishments
Best Batsman, MCA League: 1999, 2001, 2003
Most Runs, MCA League: 1997, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2002, 2003
Most Outstanding Canadian Junior Cricketer: 1998
Most Outstanding Manitoba Junior Cricketer: 1996, 1997
Damian also won many batting awards at the Western Canada Provincial U-25 Championships, MCA Indoor League and shares a Canadian Junior Record for highest opening partnership of 143 runs from the 1997 IYT in Bermuda.
