In 1956, Nottinghamshire were in two minds as to how to tackle the wicket keeping position. Eddie Rowe had succeeded Eric Meads in 1953, when the leg breaks and other variations produced by Bruce Dooland, proved too difficult for Meads. Rowe however was a very poor bat, having the worst record for any regular Notts 20th centaury cricketer. In 1956 his average dropped to 3 and Notts experiment with Cyril Poole behind the stumps. This resulted in the Wisden reporting great enthusiasm but costly errors. The club noted the success of Geoff Millman, a 20 year old who was playing with his native Bedfordshire during 1955. In 1956 Millman was in the RAF doing his National Service and was recognised as the outstanding wicketkeeper in any of the Services during that summer. He played in virtually all the Combined Services representative elevens of 1956, making his first-class debut for that side v Warwickshire in June. Aside from his keeping, he also opened the batting. In July he played in the three day match for RAF v Notts at Trent Bridge. Later in September Millman kept wicket for Minor Counties v Australia at Newcastle. In the autumn, he signed for Nottinghamshire. Geoffrey Millman was born in Bedford on October 2nd, 1934 and educated at Bedford Modern, where he was in the Eleven in 1951 and 1952. He began his club career with Bedford Thursday and Bedford Casuals, for whom his father Reg, was Chairman and umpire. Millman moved on to Bedford Town and made his Bedfordshire Minor Counties debut in 1954. Millman?s debut for Notts was against Middlesex at Lord?s ? Notts began in great form due to the bowling of Alan Walker, but in the middle of the game he was forced home with mumps. Four matches later, Millman caught the disease. However when hr recovered, he did not miss a Notts game for five seasons and only then due to his being picked for England. Millman reached 1,000 runs in both 1959 and 1961 and for some time opened the batting for the county. 1961 was also his best season as a wicketkeeper, with 89 dismissals in all first-class games. The result of this success was that Millman was chosen for the MCC side to tour the Asian subcontinent in 1961/62, acting as John Murray?s deputy. However Millman took over as England?s keeper from Murray after the Third Test v India and played in the final four Tests of the tour. When Pakistan came to England for 1962, Millman remained in place as England?s wicketkeeper. He appeared in the First Test at Edgbaston and the Second at Lord?s. He was not fully fit for the latter game and Murray (of Middlesex) took over the Third Test. 1962 had seen Andy Corran appointed Notts captain, an excellent fast bowler and a very likeable man, he was just not suited for the role. For 1963 therefore Notts gave Millman the leadership. That summer was one of relative success, but in 1965 Notts were holders of the wooden spoon. The batting was a complete failure. Corran and Forbes, the Notts opening bowlers each took over 1000 wickets at a reasonable cost, but Smedley, Notts best bat, finished 63rd in the first-class batting table, with Norma Hill next, in 76th place and Bolus third 90th position. Possibly the worst record by any Notts Eleven. Millman was blamed by some of the press, but a captain is surely more to blame when the bowling and fielding lets the side down, not the batting! Be that as it may, Millman, with still another year on his contract, retired from first-class cricket, aged 31. He rejoined Bedfordshire and appeared in 1966 for the county who rose from 16th place to seventh in the Minor Counties Championship. Millman turned out in 1967 and 1968, but then bowed out of the county game. He did not however lose interest in cricket and was a leading light in the local Bedfordshire Competition that still bears his name. A quiet private man, he always helped young players who sought his advice and followed the fortunes of the game. He ran a jewellery business in the centre of Bedford, apart from cricket his principal hobbies were bird watching and sailing. He died on April 6 2005 after suffering from cancer for eight years. His record in all first matches reads; 282 matches, 471 inns, 59 not outs, 7,771 runs, highest score 131*, 18.86 av, 599 cts, 97 sts.