Wednesday 7 January 2015

Mini-session Analysis, 2nd test, New Zealand vs Sri Lanka, Basin Reserve 2014/15

Here is the mini-session analysis for the second test between New Zealand and Sri Lanka 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-SessionScoreWinner
1-1aNew Zealand 40/1 off 13draw
1-1bNew Zealand 53/1 off 12New Zealand
1-2aNew Zealand 68/2 off 13draw
1-2bNew Zealand 31/3 off 11Sri Lanka
1-3aNew Zealand 29/3 off 6.1New Zealand
Sri Lanka 29/3 off 13.2
1-3bSri Lanka 49/2 off 12.2New Zealand
2-1aSri Lanka 39/0 off 15.2Sri Lanka
2-1bSri Lanka 42/0 off 13Sri Lanka
2-2aSri Lanka 49/1 off 16draw
2-2bSri Lanka 72/1 off 13Sri Lanka
2-3aSri Lanka 53/1 off 13Sri Lanka
2-3bSri Lanka 23/2 off 6.1Sri Lanka
New Zealand 22/0 off 11
3-1aNew Zealand 51/0 off 14New Zealand
3-1bNew Zealand 23/3 off 14Sri Lanka
3-2aNew Zealand 47/1 off 15Sri Lanka
3-2bNew Zealand 40/1 off 13Sri Lanka
3-3aNew Zealand 48/0 off 18New Zealand
3-3bNew Zealand 22/0 off 16draw
4-1aNew Zealand 24/0 off 11.1New Zealand
4-1bNew Zealand 48/0 off 15.5New Zealand
4-2aNew Zealand 59/0 off 15New Zealand
4-2bNew Zealand 61/0 off 14New Zealand
4-3aNew Zealand 79/0 off 15New Zealand
4-3bSri Lanka 45/1 off 17New Zealand
5-1aSri Lanka 28/2 off 13New Zealand
5-1bSri Lanka 37/2 off 12.3New Zealand
5-2aSri Lanka 30/1 off 15.3New Zealand
5-2bSri Lanka 56/4 off 14.4New Zealand

Final update, click here

New Zealand win the mini-session count 17 - 11


First drinks, Day 1: The mini-session count is tied up, 0.5-0.5

Another match, another lost toss from Brendon McCullum. In the last 8 tests in New Zealand, he's lost the toss 7 times. - Mykuhl


Lunch, Day 1: New Zealand lead the mini-session count 1.5-0.5

Sri Lanka are just bowling too short. If you win the toss, and chose to bowl on a green pitch, you need to give yourself a chance to take wickets by bowling at least one full delivery per over. - Mykuhl


Middle drinks, Day 1: New Zealand lead the mini-session count 2-1

That's more like it. Sri Lanka have started to pitch the ball up, and they have started to create some pressure. It's also resulted in some runs, but Sri Lanka are making a lot more of the conditions now. - Mykuhl


Tea, Day 1: The mini-session count is tied up, 2-2

Great bowling. Sri Lanka have New Zealand on the ropes here. - Mykuhl


Final drinks, Day 1: New Zealand lead the mini-session count 3-2

A couple of freak dismissals welcomed Bracewell back to test cricket. - Mykuhl


Stumps, Day 1: New Zealand lead the mini-session count 4-2

Boult managed to get the ball to beat Sangakkara's bat quite often, but the scorebook doesn't record how many times a player missed the ball. At the other end, Southee bowled a cracking delivery to dismiss Mathews before Bracewell produced his best ball of the day to remove Jayawardene, who was strangely sent in before Chandimal. - Mykuhl


First drinks, Day 2: New Zealand lead the mini-session count 4-3

A few nervous moments for the batsmen, but they made it through. The battle between Sangakkara and Boult is absolutely tantalising. - Mykuhl


Lunch, Day 2: The mini-session count is tied up, 4-4

Sangakkara and Chandimal managed to bat out the session. Sri Lanka are right back in this now. The wind has swung round and there's no cloud cover. That seems to make a big difference to how many wickest fall in Wellington. - Mykuhl


Middle drinks, Day 2: The mini-session count is tied up, 4.5-4.5

Until Neesham took a wicket with what became the last over before drinks; that was Sri Lanka's hour. - Mykuhl


Change of Innings, Day 2: Sri Lanka lead the mini-session count 5.5-4.5

3 overs with the new ball has seen an increase in the scoring rate, but no wickets. Sri Lanka now lead by 59 handy runs. New Zealand will want to wrap up the tail quickly - Mykuhl


Final drinks, Day 2: Sri Lanka lead the mini-session count 6.5-4.5

Another hour with only 13 overs and one wicket. Sri Lanka's lead is now over 100. Sangakkara is giving a masterclass. - Mykuhl


Stumps, Day 2: Sri Lanka lead the mini-session count 7.5-4.5

Sangakkara is the master of batting with the tail. When Chandimal got out he had 93 off 181 balls. He faced another 125 balls before being dismissed, while the batsmen at the other end faced a combined 68 balls. He scored 112 more runs, while the others only managed 31. It was a lesson in how it's supposed to be done. They've created a big lead. It's hard to see New Zealand coming back from this, although they managed to save a game from a similar position at this ground last year. - Mykuhl


First drinks, Day 3: Sri Lanka lead the mini-session count 7.5-5.5

New Zealand win an hour! Rutherford looked less fluent than he has recently, but this might have been simply because he is trying to limit his game. It seems to be working. - Mykuhl


Lunch, Day 3: Sri Lanka lead the mini-session count 8.5-5.5

And it's back to Sri Lanka dominating. Very ominous signs for New Zealand with Herath getting a ball to bamboozle Taylor. Both openers were dismissed by good deliveries from Nuwan Pradeep, who is bowling really well. - Mykuhl


Middle drinks, Day 3: Sri Lanka lead the mini-session count 9.5-5.5

McCullum fell just before New Zealand achieved parity, but Neesham is looking particularly solid. Williamson was given a life by Herath, which may well cost Sri Lanka. - Mykuhl


Tea, Day 3: Sri Lanka lead the mini-session count 10.5-5.5

Neesham fell to a good ball from Pradeep who is continuing to impress. In some ways this is set up for Watling, who seems to thrive when the situation gets difficult. - Mykuhl


Final drinks, Day 3: Sri Lanka lead the mini-session count 10.5-6.5

An hour without a wicket. Only the 4th in the 17 hours of this match so far. This game is likely to make it to day 4 now, which didn't seem likely an hour ago. Williamson was dropped again, just before the new ball. Having a tail ender to bowl at with the new ball would have been a huge advantage for Sri Lanka. - Mykuhl


Stumps, Day 3: Sri Lanka lead the mini-session count 11-7

For some reason Mathews decided against bowling Nuwan Pradeep with the new ball. That decision may not be one he looks back on with fondness. Only two overs for Pradeep in that hour, despite there being a new ball and him being clearly the most incisive bowler. New Zealand might now be sniffing a victory. - Mykuhl


First drinks, Day 4: Sri Lanka lead the mini-session count 11-8

A slow hour of cricket. No boundaries, no wickets, no chances. Only 11 overs bowled with lots of talk about the state of the ball. - Mykuhl


Lunch, Day 4: Sri Lanka lead the mini-session count 11-9

Sri Lanka put down Wating again. This time Jayawardene was the culprit. This is a partnership that has tipped the balance back to New Zealand. A couple of quick wickets and Sri Lanka would still back themselves to win, but New Zealand are moving into a position of strength. - Mykuhl


Middle drinks, Day 4: Sri Lanka lead the mini-session count 11-10

There was a clear increase in intent by the New Zealand batsmen in this hour. They may be setting up for a tea time declaration. The lead is close to 250, and the partnership is now over 200. New Zealand have now had 6 double century partnerships, and 3 of them have featured BJ Watling. - Mykuhl


Tea, Day 4: The mini-session count is tied up, 11-11

Another hour for New Zealand. This partnership is starting to get relentless. - Mykuhl


Final drinks, Day 4: New Zealand lead the mini-session count 12-11

A fantastic partnership comes to an artificial but somewhat fitting end through a declaration. Sri Lanka now have 107 overs to survive. Surely the target of 390 is not an option. - Mykuhl


Stumps, Day 4: New Zealand lead the mini-session count 13-11

The Sri Lankan openers did very well to see off a testing spell from Boult, Southee and Bracewell before Karunaratne threw away his wicket to a nothing delivery from Mark Craig. - Mykuhl


First drinks, Day 5: New Zealand lead the mini-session count 14-11

There is one clear talking point from this hour. Sangakkara c Watling b Boult. There was a very small mark on the hot spot and a very small signal on the snicko, and that was enough evidence for Bruce Oxenford to overturn the decision. Not everyone was as convinced that the evidence was strong enough. It extends Boult's run of success against Sangakkara. He's now dismissed him 4 times for a total of 67 runs in 4 tests (average of 19.75). - Mykuhl


Lunch, Day 5: New Zealand lead the mini-session count 15-11

Bracewell bowled really well in this hour. He has probably done enough to get himself another run in the next test. Mathews was dismissed in a similar way in both innings, it looks like a plan came to fruition. - Mykuhl


Middle drinks, Day 5: New Zealand lead the mini-session count 16-11

Out of nowhere Jayawardene hit the ball to Williamson and he didn't drop it. Otherwise it was a fairly uneventful hour. - Mykuhl


End of match: New Zealand win the mini-session count 17-11

And it's over. New Zealand have completed a comprehensive win that looked very unlikely at tea on day 3. Williamson is a deserved man of the match. - Mykuhl

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