David Miller may not have contributed much with the bat but he made up for it in the field in the first T20 International against Pakistan at Cape Town on Friday.

Photo credit: Cricket South Africa/Twitter

By taking four catches and effecting two run outs, the South African earned the Man of the Match award as the home side won the opening encounter by six runs. It was only the fourth occasion a player had been awarded for fielding in international cricket -- and the second South African after Jonty Rhodes -- and the first to get one in T20Is.

Chasing South Africa's 192/6, Miller came into play in the 11th over when he ran out Babar Azam for 38 with an underarm flick directly at the stumps at the non-striker's end. That ensued Pakistan's second wicket in a space of just seven balls bringing them down from 85/1 to 93/3.

Asif Ali then hit straight down the Kings XI Punjab player's throat two overs later following which Miller produced a blinder by running in from long on to send back Imad Wasim. A low throw direct hit from midwicket, after stopping what would have been an overthrow, dismissed Mohammad Rizwan and hr then caught Hasan Ali and captain Shaoib Malik to wrap up the innings.

While Miller perished for just 10 in the last over trying to up the run rate, his part in pulling off six dismissals in the second half of Pakistan's innings swayed the game is his team's favour.

"David is obviously a very good athlete. With all good fielders, you want to go to where the hot-spots are, you want to go to where the ball is going to go, and that's the most important thing," South Africa skipper Faf du Plessis said. "And those two run-outs were brilliant and changed the game for us."