Black Caps 11th Consecutive wins

New Zealand won their recordsetting 11th international in succession at Seddon Park on Tuesday night on the back of a blistering innings from all-rounder Colin de Grandhomme.

In his first game back since taking bereavement leave after the death of his father in Zimbabwe, de Grandhomme plundered an unbeaten 74 off only 40 balls, with five sixes and seven fours to make a potentially tricky chase into a doddle.

He put on 109 with Henry Nicholls to rip the match away from Pakistan, enable New Zealand to make 263 for five, to win by five wickets, take a 4-0 lead in the five-game series, and ensure the Black Caps would have their best run of victories across all forms in its history.

New Zealand began their chase for 263 well with an 88-run stand between openers Colin Munro and Martin Guptill.

But legspinner Shadab Khan sliced through the innings as New Zealand lost their way, and four for 11 in 35 balls.

Captain Kane Williamson and Henry Nicholls steadied the innings before de Grandhomme ripped into his work. When he arrived New Zealand needed 109 off the last 15 overs.

Victory was achieved with 4.1 overs to spare.

De Grandhomme’s first ODI half century came off 25 balls and no Pakistan bowler was spared.

He showed superb timing and what shaped as a testing late chase turned into a far easier proposition.

At one point he needed 10 off two balls to pip Martin Guptill’s 17-ball effort against Sri Lanka at Christchurch in 2015 as New Zealand’s fastest.-New