Mini-sesison Analysis, 2nd test NZ Eng, Wellington 2012/13

Here is the mini-session analysis for the second test between New Zealand and England at Basin Reserve, Wellington

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.

Mini-Session	Score	Winner
1-1a	England 44/1 off 14	draw
1-1b	England 31/0 off 14	draw
1-2a	England 56/0 off 15	England
1-2b	England 31/0 off 15	draw
1-3a	England 74/0 off 15	England
1-3b	England 31/1 off 17	New Zealand
2-1a	England 31/1 off 15	draw
2-1b	England 55/2 off 15	England
2-2a	England 52/2 off 15	draw
2-2b	England 60/3 off 11.5	draw
2-3a	New Zealand 33/1 off 17	England
2-3b	New Zealand 33/2 off 16	England
3-1a	New Zealand 52/2 off 13	England
3-1b	New Zealand 51/0 off 15	New Zealand
3-2a	New Zealand 47/2 off 15	England
3-2b	New Zealand 38/3 off 13.2	England
3-3a	New Zealand 46/1 off 16	England
3-3b	New Zealand 31/0 off 17	draw
4-1a	New Zealand 32/1 off 14	England
4-1b	New Zealand 44/0 off 15	New Zealand
4-3a	New Zealand 9/0 off 6	-

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England lead the mini-session count 10 - 3

First drinks, Day 1: The mini-session count is tied up, 0-0

Some early signs of swing, but not nearly enough to justify bowling first. Both captains were going to insert the other team, so this might have been a good toss to lose. - Mykuhl

Lunch, Day 1: The mini-session count is tied up, 0-0

England haven't lost a wicket, but New Zealand have kept them contained. These two are biding their time, but they are not looking particularly threatened. - Mykuhl

Middle drinks, Day 1: England lead the mini-session count 1-0

This is a fantastic partnership for England here. Compton is going well in a second match in a row, which is a credit to him, as New Zealand is often a graveyard for opening batsmen. - Mykuhl

Tea, Day 1: England lead the mini-session count 1-0

New Zealand have ramped up the pressure, without any reward as yet. - Mykuhl

Final drinks, Day 1: England lead the mini-session count 2-0

More solid batting. This is an outstanding partnership, which has put England into a very strong position. New Zealand once inserted the West Indies, only for them to be 270/1 at stumps. This is feeling similar. - Mykuhl

Stumps, Day 1: England lead the mini-session count 2-1

Not quite 270/1, but still very much England's day. The new ball bowlers just didn't have any penetration, and looked a bit tired. Hindsight is a wonderful thing, but it might have been better to save the new ball until the morning, when Southee, Boult and Wagner would be fresher. - Mykuhl

First drinks, Day 2: England lead the mini-session count 2-1

England are making very slow progress. I'm not sure if it's a deliberate thing, where they are trying to play on the fact that the New Zealand bowlers are tired, but it's certainly attritional stuff. - Mykuhl

Lunch, Day 2: England lead the mini-session count 3-1

While New Zealand had their most successful hour with the ball, this hour belonged to England. They started to accelerate, and losing a couple of wickets at this point is not as crippling as doing it early on day one would have been. - Mykuhl

Middle drinks, Day 2: England lead the mini-session count 3-1

England won't be unhappy with that hour, despite losing another couple of wickets. Bruce Martin has really stepped up here. The concern with Martin was that he was going to be too wayward, and bowl too many bad balls looking for wickets. He has instead bowled quite tightly, but hasn't sacrificed giving himself some opportunities to take wickets.

England scored quickly enough that they will still feel that they are in as good a position after the hour as they were before it. - Mykuhl

Tea, Day 2: England lead the mini-session count 3-1

New Zealand were effective at one end, while Matt Prior owned the other end. Once he departed things wrapped up quickly. I think Prior is looking like England's best batsman at the moment. - Mykuhl

Final drinks, Day 2: England lead the mini-session count 4-1

It's not just England playing incredibly slowly. The New Zealand top 3 have been very cautious. - Mykuhl

Stumps, Day 2: England lead the mini-session count 5-1

That hour turned dramatically in the space of 2 balls. New Zealand looked to be building a solid platform, then Broad removed Rutherford and then bowled a peach to dismiss Ross Taylor for only his third test duck. - Mykuhl

First drinks, Day 3: England lead the mini-session count 6-1

The follow-on target is starting to look a long way off now. New Zealand need big innings from McCullum and Watling now. - Mykuhl

Lunch, Day 3: England lead the mini-session count 6-2

A good hour for New Zealand, they are now less than 100 from the follow on target. - Mykuhl

Middle drinks, Day 3: England lead the mini-session count 7-2

Southee is a good option at 8 when the team is on top, the bowlers are tired and NZ are looking for quick runs. I'm not sure Southee at 8 is such a good idea when the team is needing to bat time. He almost embodies the reductio ad absurdum to the "play your natural game" concept. - Mykuhl

Tea, Day 3: England lead the mini-session count 8-2

New Zealand fall 11 runs short of the follow on target, and England enforce it. Bruce Martin showed some bottle at the end, but it was just not enough. - Mykuhl

Stumps, Day 3: England lead the mini-session count 9-2

New Zealand managed to survive the final hour, but it feels like only rain can prevent England winning this match by a large margin. - Mykuhl

First drinks, Day 4: England lead the mini-session count 10-2

The wicket of Peter Fulton made this England's hour. New Zealand will be pleased that it was just one, and not a cluster, like they have been losing in the rest of this match. - Mykuhl

Lunch, Day 4: England lead the mini-session count 10-3

A solid hour from Taylor and Williamson. England are losing their race against the clock. - Mykuhl

Final drinks, Day 4: England lead the mini-session count 10-3

That's probably the end of the match. The forecast is for rain tomorrow, and so this match will probably end as a damp squib. All eyes will now turn to Eden Park, hosting a test for the first time in 8 years. - Mykuhl