New Delhi, Feb 25 (IANS) For Tristan Stubbs, sharing the middle with David Miller is more than just a tactical advantage for South Africa; it is the realisation of a childhood dream, and the power-hitter said that throughout his transformative years, he moulded his game around how Miller plays.
Long before Stubbs emerged as one of the Proteas’ most exciting finishers, he was a schoolboy in Gqeberha trying to copy the fearless strokeplay of Miller. Now 25, the hard-hitting right-hander finds himself not only performing the same finishing role for the national side but doing so alongside the man he idolised growing up.
“I love batting with Dave [Miller]. I pretty much watched him my whole junior years and tried to mould my game around Dave and the way he plays the backend,” Stubbs said.
For years, Miller was the youthful free spirit in the South African dressing room, equally at home launching sixes as he was on a surfboard or golf course. The similarities with Stubbs are striking. Both thrive in high-pressure chases, both back their power at the death, and both carry a calm assurance that belies the chaos often unfolding around them.
When Stubbs joined the Proteas setup in 2022, Miller embraced the youngster from Knysna rather than viewing him as competition. The mentorship has since evolved into a partnership built on shared cricketing instincts.
That chemistry was on full display during South Africa’s dramatic double Super Over win against Afghanistan at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026. With the match hanging in the balance, Stubbs smashed a six off the final ball of the first Super Over to force a second tie. He then opened the next Super Over with another towering maximum before Miller seized control, striking two more sixes to clinch victory by the narrowest of margins.
The fireworks stood in contrast to their more calculated stand in the Super Eights clash against India. After the dismissal of Dewald Brevis, Stubbs resisted the urge to attack recklessly, instead rebuilding alongside Miller. Their 35-run partnership off 21 balls steadied the innings before acceleration resumed.
Stubbs was particularly composed after Miller’s departure for a blistering 63 off 35 deliveries in the 16th over. The younger man paced his finish expertly, remaining unbeaten on 44 off 24 balls after a late assault.
“You can’t just try and go too early, then you all blow out. It’s about managing the situation,” Stubbs said.
“We still had a lot of time. Five overs in a T20 game is a lot of balls and can make a big difference. We (Stubbs and Miller) think so much alike about the game, about our sort of role, it’s pretty much similar. I have chewed his ear off over the years and I love the way he goes about it. We speak a lot about batsmanship, which sometimes can get lost, because everyone wants you to sort of hit from ball one, and you sort of can lose the value of your wicket, whereas myself and Dave, we think alike, so it’s been awesome over the years to learn from that,” he said.
While Miller has matured into a senior statesman, now a husband and father, and Stubbs has taken on leadership responsibilities as captain of Sunrisers Eastern Cape, the dynamic between them remains rooted in mutual respect and shared philosophy.
South Africa will next face the formidable West Indies cricket team in their upcoming Super Eights fixture on Thursday, a contest that could prove decisive in their World Cup campaign.
If the Proteas find themselves needing composure and controlled aggression at the death once again, they will look no further than the duo who think, and finish, as one.
–IANS
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