Keeton scored a century against every other first-class county and his 312 not out made in just under eight hours against Middlesex at the Oval in 1939 is still a record for the Nottinghamshire team.
Promoted to open the innings (often alongside Gunn), Keeton responded with an unbeaten century in the game against Essex in June 1931 and thereafter was a regular in that position for the rest of the season.
[11] By the end of the season, Gunn having been injured and then retiring, Keeton had been joined by Harris as his regular opening partner, and the partnership continued up to the Second World War and, on occasion, after it.
That Keeton may have been in the minds of the England Test team selectors was shown by the fact that he was picked for a North v South match, a Test trial England v The Rest game that was almost entirely washed out by rain, and the Folkestone edition of the Gentlemen v Players series in 1932, though he was not conspicuously successful in any of these games.
Though scarcely comparable in method to the giants of the past because of the changed type of most bowlers met in these days, Keeton developed the highest art in defence and run-getting.
Keeton was again Nottinghamshire's leading batsman in 1934, averaging more than 43 runs an innings, and his three centuries in the season included two double-centuries.
This setback was followed another in the early days of 1935: Keeton was knocked down and seriously injured by a lorry near his home in Mansfield in January, fracturing his ribs and suffering concussion.
[9] Wisden noted that "after an indifferent start Keeton went through other spells of mediocrity", but added that he had been "perhaps not in the best of health judging by the necessity of an operation for appendicitis in October".
[22] Keeton's form across the season led to his recall for a second Test match: the final game of a three-match series with the West Indies.
[24] Keeton played several good-standard matches during the Second World War, including appearing for a team representing the National Police in 1943.
[9] This was an innings of 210 against Yorkshire made in 405 minutes and he shared a first-wicket partnership of 174 with Reg Simpson and a third-wicket stand of 260 with Hardstaff.
He is a strange addition to Walter Keeton as they walk out to open an innings; Keeton strung up, concentrated, quick-glancing; Harris serenely distrait, revolving idealistic strokes against an attack that will not occur; lagging sometimes a pace or two behind, like a boy with parent on an unwilling Sunday walk.
"[30] Where Harris was seen as "enigmatic", likely to block a full toss or to fashion an on-drive off an unplayable delivery, Keeton was consistent and reliable, though his range of strokes was very wide.
In addition to his batting, Keeton was also highly rated as an outfielder, often at third man; he was not a bowler at all, and took only two wickets in his entire career, both of them in the last throes of a tame draw at Horsham in 1934.