Cricket: Stunning Williamson blasts Black Caps hom

Kane Williamson's cool head got New Zealand over the line, just, to complete a clean sweep of Zimbabwe at Seddon Park last night.

Needing 14 to win off the final over, Williamson struck four, six, four in successive Shingi Masakadza deliveries to pull off a five-wicket win with two balls to spare.

Left to chase 201 to complete a six-from-six record against the Zimbabweans, it seemed the tourists would head home with something to smile about after a disappointing tour when the McCullum brothers were out to catches in the deep off consecutive balls in the penultimate over.

New Zealand needed 27 off 12 balls, and with that double loss the dice seemed to have bounced the tourists' way for a final time. Poor Masakadza needed a steady over but couldn't manage it as Williamson demonstrated his skills in a tight situation.

The mischevious might wonder if New Zealand had a cunning plan to put some heat on their batsmen, so poor was much of the bowling in the first half of the contest. The fielding wasn't flash either.

"It was a little bit closer than we would have liked," captain Brendon McCullum admitted.

"I think we were trying a little bit hard in the field to be honest. It wasn't our most clinical performance and we have to work on it in the coming days because we've got to be at the top of our game for the series (against South Africa) around the corner."

Williamson's hand he rated "outstanding" and thought the run chase was "pretty well-timed".

New Zealand's target was 10 an over, and Rob Nicol and James Franklin, promoted in Martin Guptill's absence, rattled up 103 in 10 overs.

Nicol led the way, man-of-the-match Franklin getting his sights first, and at one point they slapped six sixes in the space of 12 deliveries.

But Franklin's departure, run out by a terrific direct hit from Keegan Meth at deep square leg after a bruising 37-ball 60, gave the plot a twist before Williamson's bravura at the death.

This appeals as Zimbabwe's best form of the game. The five-day version is a stretch right now, given their inexperience, but this suits the idea of freeing them up to enjoy themselves.

Openers Hamilton Masakadza and Stuart Matsikenyeri let fly, racing past 50 inside five overs. It laid the platform, and set the tone, and Brendan Taylor and Elton Chigumbura made sure the groundwork was not wasted.

Both the first and third-wicket stands of 76 - from just seven overs - and 79 off 41 balls are Zimbabwe T20 records, and this was their first time reaching 200. Taylor was all class in his unbeaten 75 off 43 balls, while Chigumbura's 29 off 16 was just the ticket.

But too much of the bowling, frankly, was rubbish. Only they know if they were mentally switched on, but at times it didn't look much like it.

There was an inability to hit the blockhole often enough and too many free hits off full tosses were served up and not enough variety.

At a time New Zealand wanted to maintain their momentum ahead of the opening game against South Africa on Friday night, the bowlers forgot the script. It almost cost them dearly.