Milk a situation or something for all its worth

This figurative use of the verb milk, meaning to exploit a situation subtly to one’s advantage dates from the early 1500s, (1526 according to the OED). Cricket commentators will often describe a batsman as ‘milking’ the bowling i.e. rather than hitting the ball to all parts and risk the bowler being substituted by another, the batsman will play bowling judiciously to his and his team’s advantage.