Cricket: Record winning streak looms for the Black Caps

The New Zealand cricket team are on the cusp of a record winning streak. Photo: Evan Barnes/Photosport.nz

Cricket fans might be getting short-changed by the weather this summer, but not by the New Zealand team's performances.

The eight-wicket victory over Pakistan in the second one-day international at Nelson was their ninth consecutive victory in all formats since the West Indies waltzed through customs.

Ten matches is the longest winning sequence in their history. That has been achieved twice. New Zealand are on the cusp of equalling it in Dunedin on Saturday.

It's implicit any streak that includes test matches holds more weight, but victorious habits are hard to ignore among a New Zealand team whose collective history is strewn with struggles.

The first streak of 10 spanned from the final ODI defeat of Pakistan in January 2015 until the World Cup semi-final victory over South Africa; the second was across all formats from the 2016 Boxing Day ODI win over Bangladesh until they secured the Chappell-Hadlee Trophy against Australia last February.

The hosts chased an initial 247 to win from 50 overs yesterday, a figure reduced to 151 from 25 overs after rain disrupted play. New Zealand reached the target with seven balls to spare. It is the third time conditions have intervened in four matches this year.

However, the Black Caps have reassured with their consistency across 15 matches in all formats since a disappointing Champions Trophy last winter.

Kane Williamson was challenged by Mohammad Amir in the second ODI at Nelson. Photo: Evan Barnes/Photosport.nz

The Indian tour during the New Zealand spring saw both ODI and Twenty20 series taken to deciders before suffering defeat.

Back home, they defeated the West Indies in every completed fixture and continued their rhythm with a Duckworth-Lewis assisted win over Pakistan in the opening ODI at the Basin Reserve.

Pakistan's victorious nine-match ODI streak was broken in Wellington on Saturday, but they are offering more resistance than the West Indies.

The way the visitors' lower order flourished with the bat and harassed with the ball at Saxton Oval suggested they are close to unleashing their Champions Trophy-winning pedigree as one of the best balanced sides in the game.

In curator parlance, New Zealand put the heavy roller on autopilot to flatten the West Indies with thorough planning and superior skills.

Pakistan bring a more mercurial element to their game. If the New Zealand team has any cracks, they will exploit them.

Two examples occurred in the second ODI.

First, leg spinner Todd Astle, with figures of two for 29 from six overs, returned to bowl the 43rd over to eighth-wicket pair Hasan Ali and Shadab Khan.

The 19-year-old Shadab was in his fourth ODI innings and Hasan had not scored more than 13 in 10 previous outings in the format.

Astle went for 21 with Hasan (15 runs), Shadab (five runs) and wides (one run) reigniting the visitors' innings.

Second, Mohammad Amir bowled with fury at Kane Williamson. Williamson, the man-of-the-match from Wellington, was dismissed for 19 off 28 balls by Faheem Ashraf.

Amir had built the necessary pressure by restricting Williamson to 16 dot balls from 20 bowled at him, including a close but unsuccessful lbw review in the third over. The New Zealand captain scored 11 runs off the Pakistani left-armer; five of those came from overthrows.

Competitive international cricket appears to have landed in New Zealand at last.