The final days of an election campaign often resemble a cricketer batting through the nervous ’90s.

The major parties have put in the hard yards to consolidate their innings over a four-year period, but that last 10 runs become an unexplained mental hurdle.

They’ve offered edgy chances throughout their knock, but they’re now so close, yet so far, from holding their bat aloft and doffing their cap to the crowd.

That cricket analogy could almost be extended to Peter Malinauskas being compared to the almost invincible Don Bradman as he strode to the crease at The Oval in London for his final innings in 1948.

Just four runs were needed to end his career with a test batting average of 100.

Labor’s leader has used his fancy political footwork and played every shot in the book since rising to the party’s top job eight years ago.

But for Mali’s sake let’s not get too ‘Bradmanesque’ as the Don was bowled for a duck on the second ball he faced.

Despite Labor’s healthy lead and predicted victory to rewrite the record books, I can feel a perceived sense of tension more in the red camp than the blue.

Then, of course, there are also high expectations from the green and orange teams as well.

That’s what makes the next three days fascinating, whether you follow the sport of politics or not.

The inward pressure, from the Premier downwards in the Labor camp, is that expectations are so high, winning anything less than all 47 seats available in the lower house will somehow be seen as a failure.

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He’s admitted to living with “a little paranoia” in his quest to dominate and win as many seats as possible.

But is that a healthy attitude or destined for disappointment if the result is far more realistic with the Libs still being beaten by plenty, but ending the contest around the double-digit mark?

Ashton Hurn continues her eternal optimism despite the Liberal’s predicted belting on Saturday.

She’s always maintained a “give it my best shot” attitude and will accept the result, however good or bad it might be.

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With only 100, or so, days under her belt in the top job, you could be forgiven for thinking she’s been frequenting the Liberal leader’s office for several years.

That’s because she has been inside that office.

Her senior communications advisory role with former Liberal Premier Steven Marshall positioned her perfectly to take on the top role.

Many, including me, have previously suggested she should have taken the reins much earlier.

Her work with federal Liberals Christopher Pyne and Anne Ruston were also ideal platforms to reach for the stars.

Hurn’s more-than useful performance at last week’s Press Club and Business Chamber televised debate has helped solidify her credentials whether she wins or loses.

Malinauskas has been confronted by ‘out of the blue’ issues during the final days of his successful four-year reign.

This week he was forced to defend his chief public health officer over potentially damning algal bloom claims which resurfaced via the ABC’s Four Corners program.

Prior to that, the much-criticised email bungle involving the grieving widow of a ramped cancer victim had a deflating effect on all concerned.

The Premier had nothing to do with that insulting Labor public relations tactic, and he was quick to let the whole of South Australia know it.

Political campaigns are a time when leaders need to be seen as squeaky clean.

Health Minister Chris Picton took full responsibility for the blunder, fanned by the Premier absolving himself of any blame.

Picton must wonder how much more personal trauma he can handle after the recent tragic death of his brother in Perth.

Both sides are now playing a risk-aversion game as the hours count down.

My semi-serious attempt to find out whether either leader was legally qualified to pour campaign beers in a pub was met with incredulity.

According to my basic research, they required a Responsible Service of Alcohol certificate, as do all other bar staff.

It was never going to be a question which would change the course of political history in SA, but I just wanted to gauge their off-the-cuff reactions.

Hurn, with a stony face, replied “no I don’t” but then explained she was being supervised by accredited staff.

Mali went down a similar path but was far less direct by not giving me a straight yes-or-no answer, relying on the precedence of beer-pouring images of past and current politicians.

He even invited me around to his house so he could pour me a beer.

But such is the sensitivity of these innocuous campaign images, that Hurn immediately rang me after the media conference where the question was asked, to find out what game I was playing at, but with a smile in her voice.

The Premier’s staff also scrambled for the government handbook to make sure he hadn’t slipped on a Consumer Affairs regulatory banana skin in his quest to pour beers for the punters.

I was quickly informed that he was well within the law.

‘Part-time pollie pourers’ have a three-month grace period for certification.

After a quick check with both camps within the past 24 hours, I’ve concluded they are cautiously optimistic about their final week’s showing, and generally happy with their campaigning, albeit with the odd hiccup.

Labor’s conscious of One Nation but, I suspect, they know deep down they have Election 2026 in the bag.

The Libs are happy their pace has picked up since changing leaders in early December.

They too will be looking over their shoulders in the final hours as the One Nation threat looms, but by how much?

Both sides would be well advised to still expect the unexpected, but the reins are so tightly controlled, that even the unexpected is unlikely to cause an upset in preventing a comfortable Labor victory.

Returning to cricket parlance, they’ll retain the ‘political Ashes’ in a whitewash.

Mike Smithson is weekend newsreader and political analyst for 7NEWS.