World Test Championship Final, Day Three Report Card

Featuring last wicket partnerships, silly slipping and Aiden Markram

Last Wicket Partnerships
Grade: B+

After the clitter-clatter of wickets on the first two days, the third day began in comical fashion with Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood putting on a half-century partnership. So delighted were Australian fans and players by the hilarity of this outcome that they barely considered the prospect of what actual batters might do if conditions had eased sufficiently for this last-wicket pair to dominate. And, rightly so. Let’s enjoy this moment of nonsense rather than get bogged down in worries about the future. What are you, a financial planner? A zombie apocalypse prepper? A person under the age of 25?

There were some signs of concern for Australia when South Africa resumed after the lunch break chasing 282 for victory, and Starc failed to get a wicket in his first over, as per his contract. Shame on the big quick. Although, to be fair, he was probably exhausted from all the run-scoring.

And, to be even fairer, he got a wicket with the first ball of his second over, finding Ryan Rickelton’s edge to have South Africa 1/9.

Fine. We’ll cut him some slack just this once.

Silly Slipping
Grade: D-