Andrew Alderson: Are Black Caps fans fair-weather snobs?

General view during match one of the T20 international Cricket series, between the New Zealand Blackcaps and Pakistan. Photo / Getty Images.

Are local cricket fans fair-weather snobs, breaking eye contact to look over the shoulder of the New Zealand-Pakistan T20 duel to the Australian and English guests about to walk into the 2017-18 season party?

The 8688-weak crowd at the series' opening match at Wellington's Westpac Stadium indicated that could be the case. New Zealand has secured a record 13-consecutive victories across all formats this summer, yet on the province's anniversary holiday few turned out to watch.

New Zealand Cricket would make little profit from such an exercise. They could have made more if they had scheduled another match at the Basin Reserve, accepted a reduction in patrons (albeit packing out the ground) and benefitted from a drop in the cost of venue hire.

Logical excuses could justify the low turnout at what the stadium website lists as a 34,500-capacity arena (presumably minus a few for sightscreens).

Horse racing's Wellington Cup was held on Saturday, people could be away for the final throes of the school holidays, and there might have been an over-saturation of games after earning an extra ODI courtesy of the ground debacle at Napier's McLean Park.

Limited overs fatigue might also have intervened.

It's day 42 of the 100-day test drought. The five-day cricketing 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.

The cricketing diet might be unbalanced.

Blackcaps wicket-keeper Glenn Phillips completes the stumping of Pakistan captain Sarfaraz Ahmed during the First T20 International game between Black Caps v Pakistan. Photo / Photosport.co,nz

Regardless, the hope is more people bother to attend the remainder of the New Zealand-Pakistan series which will be decided either at Eden Park on Thursday or Bay Oval on Sunday.

It's ironic if the margins of victory against the West Indies and Pakistan have generated apathy to a point where the focus turns to England and Australia's arrival for a T20 tri-series starting Saturday week in Sydney. The four matches in New Zealand are on February 13, 16, 18 and 21 (the final).

You would not need to look far into the annals to find fans who turned up and were relieved when New Zealand teams simply competed - and lost - with dignity.

Still, patrons only have so much disposable income and want maximum value.

Judging by how England have continued their aggressive 50-over approach to take a winning 3-0 lead over Australia, the five-match ODI series here shapes as a cracker.

Ticket sales already hint this is where fans are investing.

Only then - and to a certain extent through the T20 tri-series with England and Australia - will we get a true gauge of New Zealand's ability.