Proteas can be ruthless, says centurion Tristan Stubbs

Proteas batter Tristan Stubbs believes they can be even more ruthless than they were in the first two ODIs against Ireland as they prepare for the final match on Monday. 

 The broad-shouldered right hander showed once again why he is one of the most talented youngsters in the green and gold after his maiden ODI century put South Africa in the driving seat against the Irish. 

In a display that saw him hit 112 unbeaten runs, which included eight fours and three sixes, Stubbs was as composed as ever as he steered the Proteas to 343/4 in the second encounter. 

He shared two partnerships in excess of 50 runs, first sharing 103 runs with Kyle Verreynne, before a 92-run partnership with Wiaan Mulder. 

In reply, the Irish were in early trouble at 44/3 and then 65/6, a position they could ultimately not recover from as the Proteas sealed victory by 174 runs to claim an unassailable 2-0 lead heading into Monday's final clash. 

Speaking to the media on Saturday morning, Stubbs believes they can work harder on keeping their foot on the throats of their opponents if they get into a position of strength during a match.

“I think we need to keep being ruthless, that will be the biggest thing for us, nothing comes to mind in terms of what we can do better off the top of my head [from a game play point of view]. 

“In the first game, we were in trouble, got into a really good position and then we allowed them back in. So when we are on top, it's just about not giving them another sniff and try to take the game away from them when we are on top,” Stubbs said. 

Asked why he rated the 50-over format as his favourite, the Warriors batter said it not only gives him time to build an innings, but also offers the opportunity to be aggressive when the situation calls for it. 

“You have more time to bat and the way yesterday [Friday] played out, I didn't even feel like I went all out. 

“You can knock it around for a while and then have a swing at the end, but ultimately you can bat for long, take some risks but still score quickly, which is something I really enjoy,” he explained. 

Being someone who often plays the game with his heart on his sleeve and shows his emotions when he doesn't keep up to his own high standards, Stubbs said the fire he has for the game comes from not wanting to put the team in a position where they would come off second best against any opponent they face. 

“That feeling of losing, especially when you feel you are in a position where you should win, I can't tell you how bad it makes me feel or how low one gets. 

“So to avoid that is pretty much my biggest motivation at the moment and pretty much everything [I do] is to try to avoid that losing feeling,” he said.