Cricket: How are you coping in the Black Caps' test drought?

A century of days will pass between this moment... and the next time New Zealand play test cricket. Photo: Photosport.nz

New Zealand test cricket fans: How are you coping?

It's day 29 of the 100-day test drought across the 2017-18 summer.

The five-day landscape will remain parched from December 12 until March 22.

That's a century of days between the second West Indies test at Hamilton's Seddon Park and the first England test - the country's inaugural day-nighter - at Auckland's Eden Park.

Fortunately a coping mechanism is in place, with the Black Caps embarking on an unbeaten summer to date.

However, this writer wouldn't fancy labouring that point with test specialists Jeet Raval, B-J Watling, Tom Blundell and Neil Wagner.

New Zealand's eight-wicket victory over Pakistan in the second one-day international at Nelson was their ninth consecutive win in all formats since the West Indies' arrival.

Ten matches is the longest winning sequence in the country's history. That has been achieved twice and will be matched if the hosts win the next ODI in Dunedin on Saturday.

Regardless, the limited overs diet risks becoming stale over the next 71 days.

Imagine waking up every morning hankering for a full English breakfast, only to open the doors to the pantry and be greeted by a wall of Coco Pops.

Sure they're tasty and do a job, but sometimes you want more sustenance.

The murmurs England might treat the two-test New Zealand series as a post-Ashes development campaign are also not aiding digestion.

A squad is due to be named tomorrow morning .

Britain's Daily Mail has suggested three emerging batsmen - Liam Livingstone, Dan Lawrence and Joe Clarke – might be selected as a way to right the English cause for coming seasons.

Whatever the decision, hopefully the Black Caps are respected enough to justify a full-strength test team, whoever that may include after the 4-0 defeat by Australia.

The integrity and primacy of the format must be preserved.

As a gauge to its merits, the 2012-13 England-New Zealand series proved a cracker, albeit with a 0-0 result.

England staved off defeat at Eden Park in the third and final match with No.11 Monty Panesar surviving the final 3.1 overs. There was West End-type drama as Panesar faced the first three balls of the last over, before pushing a single which allowed century-maker Matt Prior to complete the job.

At least that was a three-act play. In contrast, the last contest in England was drawn 1-1. Disappointment reigned that no scope was made for a decider.

Those suffering test withdrawal symptoms can at least follow coverage of the India-South Africa series in the interim.

The Proteas won the opening match in Cape Town by 72 runs when the visitors failed to chase a target of 208 after lunch on the fourth day.

The subsequent matches at Centurion and the Wanderers are sure to intrigue.