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.Eric Fisher Jersey . "We have always prided ourselves on the way we play defence. Having two big pieces back is going to be a key for us moving forward for years to come," said Knighthawks head coach Mike Hasen. Darrel Williams Jersey . Jane Virtanen scored two, and Alex Roach and Elliott Peterson rounded out the offence for the Hitmen (40-15-6). Brady Brassart chipped in with three assists. 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Sammy Watkins Jersey .Y. - General manager Billy King says the Brooklyn Nets are looking to add a big man and confirmed the team worked out centre Jason Collins, who would become the first openly gay active NBA player if signed.RIO DE JANEIRO -- Ellen Hoog updated her best memory in field hockey.At the 2012 London Games, Hoog scored the winning shootout goal for the Netherlands against New Zealand in the semifinals, en route to their second straight Olympic gold medal.She was even more dramatic on Wednesday, in the semifinals again in the Rio de Janeiro Olympics. The Dutch and Germany finished regulation at 1-1, and their shootout at 2-2. Hoog had been the first Dutchwoman to miss, her shot stopped by the underside of goalkeeper Kristina Reynolds right boot.The shootout went to sudden death, and the tension was so much that Netherlands coach Alyson Annan-Thate was crouching on the turf, barely able to watch. The first shooters from each team scored. Then Joyce Sombroek, the worlds best goalie, blocked and saved for the Netherlands, giving Hogg, next up, the chance to be the hero again. She wrong-footed Reynolds, and slammed in a reverse stick shot, just like she did at the London Games. After that, it was a blur.I had some doubts because I missed the first one, but I trust in my own shootouts, so I thought, `Well, Im not going to miss it twice, Hoog said. But after I scored it, I dont know what was going on. The most feeling I think is relief. Just reliief that we won.ddddddddddddThe Netherlands, the biggest force in womens hockey, will play for an unprecedented third straight gold against first-time finalist Britain on Friday.Maybe it sounds arrogant, Hoog said, but we have done it before, so we know how to play finals. But of course its an Olympic final, and its always terrible. The nerves are coming already.She has a fix for that, the romance movie The Notebook, which came out the same year, 2004, that she made her senior Dutch debut. Her and roommate Naomi van As watch the movie before a tournament and before a final.Its a ritual, she said. Every time we watch it we become champions.Shes not half wrong. Hoog has won two Olympic golds, two World Cups, and three European Championships, and was world player of the year in 2014. Expected to retire after the Rio Games with more than 230 appearances and 60 goals, Hoog has already been setting herself up for her next career.Shes modeled for Sports Illustrated, published a book on fitness, and gives speeches on motivation.Theres no need to motivate for the final.We came here for the gold medal, she said. ' ' '