Big pairs letting the team down

Here's something interesting that happened a couple of weeks ago:
Popped Collars batted first with Jules and X posting the highest partnership for the team. When the opposition came into bat, they successfully chased that high skin, but lost all of the other three.

Has such a thing happened before?



Indeed it has. This was in fact the 5th time it has happened in a Popped Collars game - but the first time it has happened against us. The other four occasions involved our team beating the opposition's best and failing in the rest.

Every time it happens, it seems to happen the same way:

• 4 out of 5 times it has been Popped Collars being the team to win only 1 skin
• 5 out of 5 times, the team batting second has been the team to win only 1 skin
• 4 out of 5 times, the unusual skin has involved Jules and X
• 4 out of 5 times it has been the opening partnership of the innings that was of interest (the other was the second pair)

Here's the list

Date	Team A (3 skins won)	Best skin	Team B (1 skin won)	Team B skin
14/12/2009	4Skins	43 - James & Ben	Popped Collars	45 - Julian & Xavier
3/5/2010	Big 4 Bandits	38 - Aaron & Brad	Popped Collars	41 - Julian & Xavier
19/7/2010	4Skins	46 - Danny & Joel	Popped Collars	66 - Brad & Gareth
4/4/2011	Pidge's Coup	44 - Ian & Tom	Popped Collars	71 - Julian & Xavier
5/6/2012	Popped Collars	42 - Julian & Xavier	Jug Chasers	46 - Matt H & Mike

So, what can we learn from today's stats?

• Our batsmen are inspired to chase down big partnerships, but get a bit complacent after a large skin has been chased?
• Batting second inspires big chases, but creates chokes on small chases?
• Jules and X are the lords of chasing big scores?

Well, as always, I can't do a stats blog without looking at the exact opposite of what I started with. So here are the occasions when a team has won 3 skins, and the only one they lost was the lowest one posted by the opposition...!

This has only happened twice. But again...

• Both times it was the team batting second who did unexpectedly in one skin (in this case, lost the easy one)
• Both times it was our team who did it.
• Neither of them involve Jules or X. Haha.
• Both were the 3rd skin of the innings.

Date	Team A (1 skin won)	Worst skin	Team B (3 skins won)	Team B skin
5/10/2009	Boonies	18 - Rod & Simon	Popped Collars	6 - Andy & Jake
8/2/2010	"501"	-4 - Ish & Macca	Popped Collars	-21 - Rian & Tony