Mini-session analysis for 2nd Test NZ SA Hamilton 11/12

Here is the final mini-session analysis for the 2nd test between New Zealand and South Africa in Hamilton.

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	New Zealand 43/1 off 15	draw
1-1b	New Zealand 19/1 off 12	South Africa
1-2a	New Zealand 32/0 off 9.4	New Zealand
1-3a	New Zealand 39/2 off 13	South Africa
1-3b	New Zealand 52/6 off 11.4	South Africa
1-3c	South Africa 27/2 off 11	New Zealand
2-1a	South Africa 53/2 off 15	New Zealand
2-1b	South Africa 53/2 off 18	New Zealand
2-2a	South Africa 38/1 off 15	New Zealand
2-2b	South Africa 82/3 off 18.3	South Africa
2-3a	New Zealand 22/3 off 13	South Africa
2-3b	New Zealand 43/1 off 18	South Africa
3-1a	New Zealand 24/0 off 14	Draw
3-1b	New Zealand 53/2 off 18	South Africa
3-2a	New Zealand 26/4 off 4.5	South Africa
	South Africa 47/1 off 10
3-2b	South Africa 56/0 off 9.5	South Africa

South Africa win the count 9-5. I awarded 2-2b to South Africa, despite it going to New Zealand by the formula. With South Africa at 185/8 New Zealand were looking good, but 66 runs for the last 2 wickets has been very costly. I think that South Africa are well ahead in the match. Likewise I gave the first hour on the third day as a draw. New Zealand didn't lose any wickets, but hardly scored any runs. In the context of the match, they did well to survive the difficult conditions in the morning, but neither team advanced their cause at all.

The match ebbed and flowed a couple of times. at 133/2 New Zealand were really looking good. Then at 133/7 it was hard to see New Zealand even making the game close. However at 86/6 South Africa looked like they had thrown away a golden opportunity. They took back the impetus with some great lower order hitting, and carried that advantage for the rest of the match.