Sport Today

Here are all instances where the one side's the first wicket
partnership in the second innings was equal to or greater than its
first innings total (completed innings only).

1st  1st wkt
Inn  P'ship
Tot  2nd Inn
 63    66   Aus v Eng  The Oval         1882     W
151   153   SAf v Eng  Johannesburg(3)  1913-14  L
 30    54   SAf v Eng  Birmingham       1924     L
133   140   Eng v SAf  Cape Town        1927-28  W
203   203   Ind v Eng  Manchester       1936     D
171   176   SAf v Eng  Leeds            1955     W
106   152   Pak v WI   Bridgetown       1957-58  D
131   209   Eng v WI   Port-of-Spain(1) 1973-74  L
194   219   Pak v WI   Georgetown       1976-77  D
202   213   Ind v Eng  The Oval         1979     D
209   223   Eng v NZ   The Oval         1983     W
230   250*  WI  v Aus  Georgetown       1983-84  D
152   157*  Aus v Eng  Brisbane         1990-91  W
116   208   Aus v Eng  Sydney           1994-95  D
118   133   Aus v Eng  Birmingham       1997     L
 77   162   Eng v Aus  Lord's           1997     D
 83   137   Ind v NZ   Mohali           1999-00  D
155   164   Zim v WI   Bulawayo         2001     L
240   242   Aus v WI   St John's        2002-03

For the sake of completeness, here are all instances where the one
side's the first wicket partnership in the first innings was equal to
or greater than its second innings total (completed innings only).

1st w   2nd
P'shp   inn
1st in  Tot
  75     44   Aus v Eng  The Oval       1896     L
 135     86   Aus v Eng  Manchester     1902     W
 122    103   Eng v Aus  Melbourne(2)   1903-04  W
 131     42   Ind v Eng  Lord's         1974     L
 136     97   Ind v WI   Kingston       1975-76  L
 127    103   Ind v WI   Ahmedabad      1983-84  L
 170    158   Eng v NZ   Birmingham     1990     W
 108     93   NZ  v Pak  Hamilton       1992-93  L
 276     97   WI  v NZ   Hamilton       1999-00  L
  80     54   WI  v Eng  Lord's         2000     L
 153     79   Zim v SL   Galle          2001-02  L

aslam

[ 19 instances total ]

You've got a "the" or two too many in that sentence.

[ 11 instances total]

Dumbfounded! I was certain that it would be much more common for the
1st wicket partnership in the 1st innings to exceed the other innings
total than it would be for that in the second to do so. First innings
totals are significantly larger on average.

My question is, WTF?

        --mt.

: Dumbfounded! I was certain that it would be much more common for the
: 1st wicket partnership in the 1st innings to exceed the other innings
: total than it would be for that in the second to do so. First innings
: totals are significantly larger on average.

But the new ball is more damaging on a first mornin pitch, so the
openers might score just as well or better in the second dig.
Yo'd have to check the stats.

-Greg