Australia have been in a batting rut for the last few months, and a recurring theme has been their batting collapses, when they have lost top-order wickets in a heap. It happened in Hobart, in Perth, and before that in Colombo, Galle and Pallekele as well. In some of these Tests there have been passages when a pair has settled in, but a breakthrough for the bowling team has generally led to a flurry of wickets, and this malaise has been more acute in 2016 than it has been in a long time.In eight Tests this year, Australia have had 79 partnerships for the top six wickets, of which 35 have ended before going past single digits. That is a whopping 44% of top-order partnerships that havent gone past 10, which is the worst for them in more than 100 years: the last time that percentage was higher was in 1901, when they played just one Test, and had seven sub-ten partnerships out of 12, for the top six wickets across both innings.In the last 100 years, the next highest percentage for Australia was in 1956, when 37 out of 95 partnerships for the top six wickets ended before getting to 10, a percentage of 38.95. The year 2011 was tough too, with a percentage of 37.76, but in their best batting years, the failure rates have been really low: it was just 6.06% in 2007 (two out of 33), 11.29 in 1998 (14 out of 124). Even in the two previous years, the percentages were in the early 20s - 21.26 in 2015, 22.43% in 2014. In fact, Australias average partnership for the top six wickets in 2014 and 2015 was 50.47; in 2016, it has slumped to 36.58. From an average of one century partnership in seven attempts in those two years, the frequency has reduced to one every 13 attempts in 2016.Of those 35 single-digit partnerships in 2016, eight came in Hobart, five each in Perth and Colombo, seven in Galle and six in Pallekele. Even in an innings when they scored big - 562 against New Zealand in Wellington - there were still three sub-10 partnerships among the first six wickets. That suggests an unhealthy reliance on a few batsmen to score all the runs, and too many top-order failures on a regular basis.*In a calendar year, since 1930 Even when comparing with other teams in 2016, Australias failure rate in partnerships stands out: even Bangladesh and Zimbabwe have a lower percentage of sub-10 partnerships, while the failure rate is considerably lower for the other top sides. India have had only nine completed stands of less than ten, out of 71 partnerships for the top six wickets, a percentage of less than 13. Australias top order, on the other hand, have had 11 partnerships of zero, and 24 others between one and nine, in 79 stands. For England, Pakistan and South Africa, the percentage is below 30. The two top-order partnerships that have been most disappointing for Australia have been the ones between David Warner and Joe Burns, and between Steven Smith and Adam Voges. In ten partnerships between Warner and Burns, the pair has added only 184 runs, of which 100 came in one innings, at the start of the year against West Indies in Sydney. The last six stands between them read thus: 3, 2, 0, 3, 2, 0.Smith-Voges has been even poorer, with 89 partnership runs from eight innings at 12.71. Between these two pairs, they have contributed 12 single-digit stands in 18 partnerships. The one consistently prolific pair for Australia has been Usman Khawaja-Smith: in six innings they have four partnerships of 50 or more, and a superb average of nearly 57. The contrast for these two pairs before and since the start of 2016 is particularly stark, and is symptomatic of Australias batting slump. Before 2016, both Warner-Burns and Smith-Voges had average partnerships of more than 70. Together, the two pairs added 1474 runs in 18 partnerships, at an average of 86.71, with six century stands. Since the start of 2016, these two pairs have added 273 runs in 18 partnerships, at an average of 16.06. This five-fold drop in partnership aggregate and average for these two pairs best illustrates Australias batting nosedive in 2016. Ryan Miller Ducks Jersey . Each of Houstons starters scored in double figures as the Rockets improved to 2-0 against the Spurs this season, with both victories coming on the road. They also moved within 3 1/2 games of San Antonio (22-7) for the lead the Southwest Division. Rickard Rakell Ducks Jersey . R.J. 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Southern Vipers 118 for 4 (Bates 45*, Brindle 45*) beat Yorkshire Diamonds 64 (Smith 4-10) by Scorecard Linsey Smith recorded the Kia Super Leagues best bowling figures so far as Southern Vipers beat Yorkshire Diamonds by 54 runs to qualify for Finals Day. Berkshire left-armer Smith ended with 4 for 10 to back up a match-winning 99-run stand between Suzie Bates and Arran Brindle in front of 1000 fans at the Ageas Bowl.The Vipers set 119 to win, before bowling the Diamonds out with four overs to spare, making them the first club to be eliminated after three defeats from three.Charlotte Edwards, who was not able to bat in the opening game after suffering a concussion that subsequently forced her to miss the win against the Thunder, but she finally got out to the middle after winning the toss and batting. Her innings was short lived, though, as she edged former England team-mate Katherine Brunts awayswinger behind.The Vipers were two down in the next over when pacy Shabnim Ismail struck with her first delivery, Izzy Collis lbw. The Diamonds had the hosts on the ropes at 9 for 3 when Sara McGlashan pushed Brunt to first slip, and then 19 for 4 as Lydia Greenway, who had been dropped at slip with the score on 10, reverse swept Katie Levick to short third man.But international veterans Brindle - who retired from England duty in 2014 - and New Zealand captain Bates turned the innings around with a much-needed partnership, on a tricky to bat on slow track.ddddddddddddhe ICCs No. 2-ranked T20 batsman, Bates slowly batted herself in and was rewarded by being able to play her shots at the end. She finished up with an unbeaten, run-a-ball 45, having smashed the final delivery for a six over midwicket, while Brindle made an equally handy 45 to take the Vipers to a competitive total of 118 for 4.Lauren Winfield got the chase off to a good start by rocking on to the back foot and hammering a pair of boundaries off Morna Nielsen. But the England opener drilled Bates straight to Brindle at midwicket without scoring another run, and Edwards ran out Hollie Armitage to leave the Diamonds struggling on 19 for 2.Wickets continued to fall as Smith deceived Alice Davidson-Richards to have her stumped. Beth Mooney, who kept the score ticking with 17, was dropped at midwicket by McGlashan, who required a visit by the physio, but Alex Blackwell was brilliantly caught and bowled by Smith.Mooney was bowled backing away to Nielsen before Jenny Gunn was bowled by Smith. Medium-pacer Smith, on her second appearance, picked up her fourth wicket when she had Brunt caught at backward point. Stephanie Butler was caught behind and Levick spooned to Brindle as Yorkshire were bowled out for 64 to hand the Vipers another home bonus point win. ' ' '