The Liebke Ratings: South Africa vs Australia third ODI

After losing the first two matches in this series, Australia went into the third game needing a win to keep the series alive. In fact, even a tie or no result would do the job, so in that sense, everything was looking good for the visitors.

Here are the ratings from the Third ODI between South Africa and Australia.

The toss
Grade: B-

The big question on all Australian fans’ minds was which players we’d never heard of would be selected to open the bowling for this particular game. And the answer, as revealed by a sheepish Steve Smith at the toss, was Chris Tremain and Daniel Worrall.

Apparently, Smith was not deterred by the fact that ‘Tremain-Worrall’ is an anagram of ‘ROAR! Miller want’. But, y’know, keep that in mind for a little later in these ratings.

The other highlight of the toss was South African captain Faf du Plessis referring to commentator Shaun Pollock as ‘Polly’. I’m a big fan of that nickname. But I’d be an even bigger fan is Shaun was dressed as a parrot. Come on, South African television. Let’s lift.

Despite Pollock’s human garb, Smith won the toss and elected to bat.

Brad Haddin
Grade: B-

Earlier in the week, Brad Haddin had come out in the press and said that he didn’t blame the Australian bowlers for the losses in the first two ODIs. After all, they were merely young and inexperienced and terrible, terrible bowlers. (Click to Tweet)

No, Haddin instead pointed the finger at the more experienced batsmen, none of whom had gone on to make an innings of any notable magnitude.

Exactly why Haddin had been called on to offer his thoughts on the matter was a little mysterious. Still, if anybody knows about ineffective top orders, it’s Haddin. Never forget that by rescuing Australia five Tests in a row after coming in at 5-150ish in every first innings, he single-handedly won Australia the 2013 Ashes. Well, him and Mitch Johnson. So double-handedly, I guess.

And, besides, as fellow Roar columnist Ben Pobjie pointed out to me on Twitter, you don’t stop being the heart and soul of the team just because you’re not in it.

David Warner
Grade: B-

So with Haddin’s words ringing in their ears, David Warner and Aaron Finch opened the batting, crashing their way to a 110-run partnership after only 13 overs.

Finch was the first batsman to fall, caught in the deep trying to slog Imran Tahir out of the attack, inspiring the bowler to set off on one of his infamous celebrations. It’s difficult to know why such unbridled joy from a bowler can inspire such antagonism in everybody who views it. But it undeniably does.

Warner kept going after Finch’s demise, eventually making 117 (107) before being caught by JP Duminy. The bowler? The madly celebrating Tahir. Which makes one wonder whether, on balance, the innings was even worth it.

Steve Smith
Grade: B+

Warner’s major partner during the innings was captain Smith, who went on to make a century of his own. And it was a century free of the contamination of Tahir terminating it.

I suppose that’s why Smith is the long-term captain, and Warner is just the captain who comes in to lead Australia to actual victories whenever Smith needs a rest from leading them to defeats.

Smith’s decision to make nine fewer runs than Warner off the 107 balls he faced in exchange for not being dismissed by Tahir was definitely the smarter trade-off. After all, with a final total of 6-371, a few extra runs here and there surely weren’t going to matter.

Doctoring pitches
Grade: D

Or were they? Because, as it turned out, South Africa ran down the total with four balls and four wickets to spare. And whose turn was it to hit a century to guide the South Africans to victory this time around?

Why, it was David Miller, who made 118 from 79 balls. You remember him. He’s the guy back at the top of these ratings who emitted an anagramatically Hulk-like ‘ROAR! Miller want’ at the prospect of batting against an attack that featured a Tremain-Worrall opening bowling partnership.

So Australia lose the series 3-0, with two games still to play. This time around, it’s been South Africa’s doctored flat pitches that have brought Australia undone. Just like Sri Lanka’s doctored turning pitches had done previously. And England’s doctored seaming pitches before that.

More doctoring than an ER cast reunion. Why can’t all these other countries have proper pitches like Australia does?

Still, on the plus side, I guess the Australian batsmen really put Brad Haddin in his place. And, ultimately, isn’t that the true victory?