Batting Records ...again

I think it's time I abandoned my attempt at summarising 2010 (it was going to be pretty boring anyway) and instead bring you a series of posts about how Popped Collars batters keep on breaking each others records. Here we go again...

It's not uncommon in cricket to see records set, and then quickly re-set by someone else. Note some of my favourite examples:

• Matthew Hayden belted Zimbabwe around to rack up 380 runs (and was totally pissed-off with himself when he got out), only to see Brian Lara score test cricket's first ever 400 just six months later.
• In 2002, Adam Gilchrist scored the fastest test double-century (212 balls), only to see the record obliterated three weeks later by Nathan Astle of New Zealand (153 balls).
• and of course... Australia clocked up a massive record for the highest ever ODI score (434)... and lost the game to South Africa's run chase (438).

But the Popped Collars recent batting has been an extreme version of this. Last night, it was Julian, Brad and Xavier plundering runs off the unfortunate opposition. Xavier moved the highest individual batting beyond the 50s, while Julian helped out at the other end to break the partnership record. Brad also made a half-century to again give the team a trio of 50+ scores in the game.

Xavier's score of 60 is the best Popped Collars score ever, but still 3 short of Rian's record for GG in the 6-a-side competition last year.

The Halliwell/Mellor partnership of 115, on the other hand, is the outright best partnership, beating even what Gareth and Rian made in the same GG game (113).

The individual score record has been broken 4 times in the last 7 matches. Here's how it has progressed:

• 9/11/09 - Josh - 52
• 13/12/10 - Xavier - 54
• 24/1/11 - Xavier - 57
• 24/1/11 - Andy - 58
• 14/2/11 - Xavier - 60

Special note should also go to Gareth, who not only made -1 with the bat while everyone around him was feasting on the bowlers, but still managed to make a positive contribution after bowling -19. (I thought I'd done a blog on records of this type before... but I can't seem to find one. So I'll do it for you shortly, Gareth).