Mini-session analysis for 1st Test NZ SA Dunedin 11/12

Here is the final mini-session analysis for the 1st test between New Zealand and South Africa in Dunedin.

A mini-session is (normally) half a session, either between the start of the session and the drinks break or the drinks break and the end of the session. Occasionally a long session will have 3 mini-sessions where it will be broken up with 2 drinks breaks.

1-1a	South Africa 51/1 off 13	South Africa
1-1b	South Africa 35/0 off 13	South Africa
1-2a	South Africa 69/3 off 15	New Zealand
1-2b	South Africa 36/3 off 18	New Zealand
2-1a	South Africa 47/3 off 9.2	New Zealand
2-1b	New Zealand 40/1 off 16	South Africa
2-2a	New Zealand 57/1 off 17	New Zealand
2-2b	New Zealand 47/3 off 19	South Africa
2-3a	New Zealand 40/0 off 14	New Zealand
2-3b	New Zealand 59/4 off 20	South Africa
3-1a	New Zealand 30/1 off 2.2	New Zealand
	South Africa 49/2 off 14
3-1b	South Africa 39/0 off 15	South Africa
3-2a	South Africa 51/0 off 13	South Africa
3-2b	South Africa 36/0 off 14	South Africa
3-3a	South Africa 50/0 off 18	South Africa
3-3b	South Africa 43/1 off 15	New Zealand
4-1a	South Africa 41/1 off 17	New Zealand
4-1b	South Africa 50/1 off 18	South Africa
4-2a	South Africa 76/0 off 16	South Africa
4-2b	New Zealand 27/1 off 11	South Africa
4-3a	New Zealand 54/1 off 17	New Zealand
4-3b	New Zealand 56/0 off 13	New Zealand

The final count is 12-10 to South Africa.

There were 4 very close mini-sessions, but South Africa were certainly ahead when the rain came.

Now England will have a little longer being at the top of the world. (Potentially a lot longer if the Pakistan series turns out to be just an aberration.) We will have to wait another week or so to know what shape this test series is going to take, and we get an opportunity for a repeat of last tour's 1-1-1 result.

The match has left more questions than answers for me so far. It will be interesting to see how South Africa handle the conditions in Hamilton. The pitch there has fluctuated wildly from test to test, but it is normally quite sticky and often swing bowlers flourish there. It could be more to Steyn's liking and less to Philander's.