| The lower in the batting order you get, the less likely | | | | wicket. This auspicious event occurred at The Oval in |
| you are to find partnerships of substance. However, | | | | London, against an English attack that included Derek |
| in several Test matches, the ninth-wicket | | | | Underwood and Brian Close. Amazingly, Pakistan still |
| partnerships proved vital in the outcome of the test. | | | | lost that Test to England by eight wickets. It would |
| Naturally, the ninth-wicket partnerships are | | | | have been much worse were it not for the efforts |
| substantially lower than other record partnerships. | | | | of the number 9 and 10 batsmen. |
| 195 - Mark Boucher and Pat Symcox (South Africa) | | | | Pakistan had a massive first innings deficit of 224. |
| Against Pakistan at the Wanderers Stadium, | | | | The visitors were facing humiliation at 65/8, when |
| Johannesburg in 1998, the portly offspinner, Pat | | | | Alam joined Iqbal. Iqbal scored 146 and Alam |
| Symcox combined with wicketkeeper Mark Boucher | | | | contributed 51, to take Pakistan to 255 all out. |
| to rescue South Africa's innings. The pair came | | | | Although they did not save the match for Pakistan, |
| together when the home side was struggling on 166 | | | | their effort remains the highest partnership for |
| 8 in the first innings of the match. Against a Pakistan | | | | Pakistan to date (2010). |
| attack that included Waqar Younis, Shoaib Akhtar | | | | 180 - JP Duminy and Dale Steyn (South Africa) |
| and Saqlain Mushtaq, Boucher and Symcox held firm. | | | | It was an epic match between South Africa and |
| The big surprise was that Symcox dominated the | | | | Australia at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in |
| partnership. The offspinner scored 108 off 157 balls | | | | December 2008. Australia scored an imposing first |
| before he was out with the score on 361. That was | | | | innings score of 394 all out. In reply, South Africa |
| his highest Test score. Boucher scored 79 off 161 | | | | was facing a first-innings deficit at 251/8. Dale Steyn, |
| balls - a vigil in comparison to Symcox's effort. South | | | | who was not an all-rounder by any stretch of the |
| Africa reached 364 all out on the back of the | | | | imagination, joined JP Duminy. Together they took |
| massive partnership. The rain-affected match ended | | | | the score to 431. Steyn scored a career-best 76, |
| in a draw, but the South African batsmen set a world | | | | while Duminy scored 166 to give the Proteas a first |
| and national record that would last for some time. | | | | innings lead of 65. This partnership is what made the |
| 190 - Asif Iqbal and Intikhab Alam (Pakistan) | | | | difference between the two sides as South Africa |
| As far back as 1967, the two Pakistani batsmen set | | | | romped to a 9-wicket victory chasing a target of 183 |
| what was then the highest partnership for the ninth | | | | runs. |