It's Miller's time as he patiently looks for a Test

Published Nov 2, 2016

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Johannesburg - In a break from his ‘if it’s in the arc, it’s out the park’ mantra, David Miller now says the key to batting is patience.

“This is going to sound silly, I’ve been playing for nine years and (only now) I’ve learned how to wait for the ball,” Miller remarked this week.

Miller’s gone for a change of scene to help achieve his new goal - to break into South Africa’s Test team - and that has seen him give up the good life by the sea and head for Bloemfontein.

For one as prodigiously talented as Miller is with the willow, it could be argued that at 27 he should be in his peak years, but that is most certainly not the case hearing him talk. Miller has been categorised as a short form player for most of his career. His achieved success in T20 cricket for Yorkshire, the same for IPL side the Kings XI Punjab and to a lesser extent for the Proteas.

At international level, consistency has been in short supply, although his record in knockout matches is excellent.

Miller’s career very much follows the path of the modern player - a load of limited overs matches; in his case 83 ODIs, 164 List A matches and over 200 T20 games. His First Class figures are paltry by comparison, a mere 53 matches over the course of eight professional years.

Even this season, he missed the first two rounds of the Sunfoil Series for his new franchise, the Knights, due to international commitments. Nevertheless, the seriousness with which he is chasing his Test goal is reflected in the form he’s produced in the two games he has played. There was a career-best 177 in Kimberley against the Highveld Lions, followed by a knock of 60 against his former franchise the Dolphins at Kingsmead.

“I’m batting at No 4 in four-day cricket for the Knights. I want to play Test cricket at some stage and batting high up the order is where you need to start. You can’t be batting at No 6 in domestic cricket and go and play Test cricket,” he explained.

Though he’s not seeking residence in Bloemfontein, Miller has been grateful for the interaction he’s had with the franchise’s coach Nicky Boje, while the strong bonds being built among his new teammates has helped him to settle in quickly. “I’ve really enjoyed working with (Boje) over the last few weeks, we’ve known each other for a few years. It’s about opportunities and also getting out of my comfort zone at the Dolphins ... I’m 27 now, I wanted to keep it going, not stagnate, that was one of the biggest reasons (for leaving the Dolphins).

“The guys have been really good to me. They’ve looked after me well. There’s a lot of good and different guys ... young, old, you have Robin Peterson who’s been around, Dillon du Preez, myself, Theunis de Bruyn’s the new captain, so there’s a lot of excitement around all of that and (Boje) obviously adds a lot of experience. It’s a challenge I’ve been thinking about for a long time, and I’ve been mentally up for it.”

Miller and the Knights head to PE today ahead of tomorrow’s Sunfoil Series clash with the Warriors, where waiting for the ball, rather than smashing it out the park, will be the priority.

The Star

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