Patience now a virtue for Miller at the crease

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 the Proteas Test team – and that has seen him give up the good life by the sea in Durban and head for small-town South Africa, in this case Bloemfontein.

For one as prodigiously talented as Miller is with the bat it could be argued that at 27-years-old he should be at peak, but that is most certainly not the case hearing him talk. Miller has been categorised as a shorter-format player for most of his career. He has 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 a very good one, pointing to a strong mentality and an ability to play under pressure.

But if it is consistency he seeks then he has to start making runs and doing so over long periods, which means he has to play more four-day cricket.

Even this season, he missed the first two rounds of the Sunfoil Series for his new franchise the Knights, due to international limited-overs commitments.

Nevertheless, the seriousness with which he is chasing his Test goal is reflected in the form he has produced in the two games he has played.

He scored a career-best 177 in Kimberley against the Highveld Lions followed by a knock of 60 against his former franchise the Dolphins in Kingsmead, which required him to rescue his side from a precarious position of 45/3.

“I’m batting at No 4 in fourday 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.

Miller has been grateful for the interaction he has had with Knights’ 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 Nicky Boje over the last few weeks, we’ve known each other for a few years,” Miller said.

“It’s about opportunities and also getting out of my comfort zone at the Dolphins, I’d just come to practice, it was all very run-of-the-mill and I fell into a bit of complacency.

“I wanted to step it up ... I’m 27 now, I wanted to keep it going, not stagnate, that was one of the biggest reasons (for leaving the Dolphins).”