Perils of winning the toss

The first session of Test cricket in 2013 produced 48 runs and 11 wickets as New Zealand were bundled out for 45 in 19.2 overs. Here are some of the stats highlights from the collapse

S Rajesh

02-Jan-2013

Brendon McCullum is bowled, South Africa v New Zealand, 1st Test, Cape Town, 1st day, January 2, 2013

New Zealand's 45 all out is their third-lowest in their Test history, and the joint 12th-lowest by any team. It's the lowest Test total since India's 42 all out at Lord's in 1974. It is also the lowest ever against South Africa.

New Zealand's dismal batting performance lasted 19.2 overs - that is the shortest completed Test innings for New Zealand ever. It came after their captain, Brendon McCullum, had won the toss and chosen to bat. Only once has a team lasted fewer than 116 deliveries in the first innings of a Test after winning the toss and batting: Australia were bundled out in 22.3 five-ball overs against England way back in 1896, which makes this the shortest such innings in 116 years. (It's also the second-lowest number of balls played in a completed first innings of any Test.) In terms of runs scored, this is the third-lowest by a team winning the toss and batting first: South Africa had been bowled out for 36 against Australia in 1936, while New Zealand were all out for 42 against Australia in 1946.

Vernon Philander finished with figures of 5 for 7* - only three times has a bowler taken a five-for conceding fewer runs. The last of those was by West Indies' Jermaine Lawson, who took 6 for 3 against Bangladesh in 2002. The last bowler to take five wickets in his first overs at the start of an innings in Tests was also a West Indian: Fidel Edwards took 5 for 26 in his first five overs against Bangladesh, again, in 2011.

Ten out of New Zealand's 11 batsmen didn't touch double-digits. It's only the 30th time this has happened in Test cricket, and the sixth time since the beginning of 2001. The only other instance when New Zealand suffered this ignominy was against England in 1955, when they were bundled out for 26, which remains the lowest Test total by any team.

Dale Steyn completed his 300-wicket haul in his 61st Test, making him the joint third-fastest in terms of Tests to achieve the mark, after Dennis Lillee (56) and Muttiah Muralitharan (58). Richard Hadlee and Malcolm Marshall also reached the mark in their 61st Tests.

Jacques Kallis became the fourth batsman to reach the 13000-run mark in Tests. He is the second-fastest to the landmark in terms of innings (269) after Sachin Tendulkar, who did so in 266 innings. He also became the fifth player to aggregate 1500-plus runs in Tests against New Zealand. Only Javed Miandad has more fifty-plus scores against New Zealand.

Alviro Petersen's century is his fifth in Tests and second against New Zealand. Both his centuries in home Tests have come in Cape Town. Petersen shared century stands with Hashim Amla and Kallis for the second and third wickets. It is only the fifth time overall (second time for South Africa) that there have been century stands for both the second and third wickets in an innings against New Zealand.
*16.36GMT, January 2: The piece had incorrectly said Philander took a wicket in each of his first five overs. This has been removed.

New Zealand South Africa South Africa vs New Zealand New Zealand tour of South Africa

S Rajesh is stats editor of ESPNcricinfo. Follow him on Twitter