When Should it be #MillerTime?

One of the more interesting facets of the South African game during the West Indian series last month was the timing for the introduction of David Miller. Having started out a brutal smasher with a rather catchy philosophy ("If it's in the V it's in the trees, if it's in the arc, it's out the park"), he showed a greater understanding of the finer nuances of the game this summer. Admittedly, the Men from the Caribbean Islands didn't provide the greatest of opposition - to be kind - but Miller still showed high quality in his two knocks where he was given more time to build an innings. Indeed, Miller averages 45 batting at five, compared to 32 when he bats at six. That's a rather large variance in average, and for my money certainly displays a batsman capable of smashing it around, rather than a smasher with a vague idea of batting and all the complications it entails. The problem with Miller at five, of course, is that it's at odds with my previous article in which I proposed that AB De Villiers would make a very good #5. Averaging 45 in the position is indeed a solid effort, and might put you as one of the front line practitioners in the position, but it ignores the red herring that is caused by the fact his averages is significantly boosted by his last two knocks... And the minor matter if the fact that AB averages a phat 72 when he bats at five. This makes it rather complicated. Add in the fact that JP Duminy averages 55 when he bats at four, and you have a rather complicated jigsaw puzzle. It seems nearly impossible to create a batting line up which gets the best out of everyone as their best positions overlap. Personally, I'd put Miller in at six, AB at five, and Duminy at four. If JP plays, he gets wasted a bit lower down. He's a capable hitter, but hardly remarkable at it, and six isn't too far from Miller's best position. You lose a bit of de Villiers' dynamism when he comes in a little later, but he's a supremely gifted cricketer and as the hapless West Indians found, even ten overs of AB can turn a horrible day into the worst day of your professional career.