South Africa's Tristan Stubbs on Flying Top Six and Miller Partnership
Tristan Stubbs praises South Africa's potent top six batting lineup and partnership with David Miller ahead of T20 World Cup Super Eights clash with West Indies.
South Africa's Tristan Stubbs discusses the team's strong batting lineup and win over India, ahead of West Indies clash in T20 World Cup...
Tristan Stubbs has been instrumental in South Africa's strong start to the T20 World Cup, scoring crucial runs and taking vital catches. He was drafted into the squad ahead of the tournament, replacing Donovan Ferreira, and has made the most of his opportunity. Stubbs' unbeaten 44 off 24 balls against India helped South Africa post a competitive 187/7, and he also took three catches in the match, including a stunning one in the 15th over.
Batting with David Miller has likely been a big boost for Stubbs, given Miller's experience and success in the tournament. Miller scored a blistering 63 off 35 balls against India, and the pair's partnership was key to South Africa's recovery from a shaky start.
The win against India over the weekend was a massive confidence booster for South Africa, says David Miller. “It wasn't easy. Playing against India is always really difficult and they've got some incredible team and players,” Miller told reporters. The victory has removed India's cloak of invincibility, and now South Africa knows they are beatable.
Miller praised the team's maturity and experience, saying, “We're a mature team. A lot of guys have played together and a lot of cricket for South Africa and that goes a long way under pressure.” He also highlighted the team's potent top six batting lineup, which played a crucial role in their win against India.
“It’s a massive win for us. I think, especially in the media over here, it was built up as this huge contest, and it was, but ultimately it was about getting the two points. We tend to thrive in those big games as a team.
“The crowd was massive, it really got us going, and in the end we got the two points heading into the rest of the competition.”
Your form has been excellent in this tournament and in the SA20. You had some well documented struggles before that. What has changed?
“Now I’ve pretty much got until the end of August where I don’t have to worry about my front shoulder or left elbow, I’m just trying to hit it over the rope. I’ve done some work here with Albie (Morkel) and he’s been really good.
“I knew once I got the confidence back in my hitting, my game was there. Before SA20, every time I tried to clear the ropes it just didn’t work. Once I got my swing back to where it needed to be, it’s gone from there.
“In T20 it’s a lot about patterns, you get the flow of the game. If you’ve been playing Test cricket and then suddenly you come in and face 10 balls, you can feel like, ‘Jeez, I’m so far behind the game.’
“But if you’re playing T20, you walk in and you’re straight on it. So it’s really helped finally playing a lot of T20s in a row.”
You face West Indies next on Thursday, they gave Zimbabwe a thumping. You have positive experiences against them from the recent series in South Africa. Your thoughts on them?
“I think West Indies are a really good batting side. We’ve seen in this competition they’ve posted massive scores and their batters are in really good form. They bring that challenge, and they’ve also got a bowling attack that’s doing really well.
“It’s different to India, but in a way it’s a similar challenge, a really strong batting line-up that can get away from you if you’re not on it, and bowlers who can defend totals. We’ll be ready for Thursday, probably preparing in a similar way to India, and we’ll be up for it.”
The South African top six looks to be really flying at the moment…..
“Ricks (Ryan Rickelton) is really enjoying that number three role. He was excited for a different challenge he hadn’t really done before.
“I think Brev (Dewald Brevis) loves number four, and Dave (David Miller) has always been better coming in a bit earlier. It’s working really well at the moment.
You have already had some crucial partnerships with Miller…
“I love batting with Dave. I watched him through my junior years and tried to mould my game around the way he plays at the back end. There’s so much experience to lean on when you’re out there in the middle.
“I’ve done a lot of batting at the back end in India in the IPL, so I’m confident in that. For me it’s about reading the situation and figuring out the best way to get to a competitive score.
“And it’s underrated, but when you play five or six games together in a row, and then you add the West Indies series on top of that, you actually learn how to bat with each other.
“I think Dave and I think very similarly about the game and our roles, it’s pretty much the same. I’ve chewed his ear off over the years and I love the way he goes about it. We speak a lot about batsmanship, which can get lost at times because everyone wants you to hit from ball one and you can lose the value of your wicket.
“Dave and I think alike on that, so it’s been awesome over the years to learn from him.”
No comments:
Leave comment here