Glenn Phillips has smashed the Blackcaps to an emphatic victory over West Indies in Mount Maunganui's, to secure an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series.
The Aucklander blasted a 46-ball century - the fastest for New Zealand's T20 history - before putting on a clinic in the field with a spectacular run-out and an acrobatic catch on the boundary, to cap off a man-of-the-match performance.
Just like the series opener, Sunday's second T20 was affected by rain with two delays, but the Bay Oval crowd was treated to a Blackcaps batting show, setting the West Indies a stiff 238 for victory.
Martin Guptil and Tim Seifert got the home side off to a fast start getting 49 off five overs before the double strike from Fabian Allen and Oshane Thomas had West Indies right back in it.
But what came next was just like 2020, no one expected it.
Glenn Phillips put on a clinic hitting eight sixes and 10 fours in his 108 from 51 balls as the hosts, backed up their opening T20 victory by five wickets, by posting a massive 238/3 in their 20 overs after being put in to bat.
Colin Munro had taken 47 balls to reach his century against West Indies at the same ground in 2018 for New Zealand's fastest hundred in the shortest format of the game, but Phillips bettered the mark by taking a delivery less for his ton.
None of the West Indies bowlers could make an impact, with fast bowler Keemo Paul returning the worst figures among them, conceding 64 off his four overs.
The 23-year-old Phillips added 184 for the third wicket with Devon Conway, who made an unbeaten 65 off 37 deliveries in just his second game for New Zealand.
Phillips and Conway’s third-wicket stand was 13 runs greater than NZ’s previous best partnership for any wicket in T20 games, and 60 better than the previous mark for the country’s third wicket.
"It was absolutely brilliant," Phillips says during the innings break.
"Dev [Conway] is an absolutely amazing player to play with and keeps you calm under pressure. To be a part of a partnership that big is just unbelievable. It was a lot of fun."
The tourists never looked like getting close and kept losing wickets at regular intervals, finishing on 166 for nine to give the Blackcaps a 72 run victory and the series win.
All of New Zealand's six bowlers chipped in with wickets, but the pick of was Kyle Jamieson with 4/15 off his four overs.
The visiting side were given hope of a miraculous chase when Kieron Pollard struck three consecutive sixes off one Mitchell Santner over, but perished attempting a fourth.
Once Pollard was dismissed, the Blackcaps romped away with a victory.
The rivals will face off again for the third and final T20 match at the same venue on Monday.
New Zealand 238-3 in 20 overs (G Phillips 108, D Conway 65no, M Guptill 34) West Indies 166-9 in 20 overs (K Jamieson 4/15) by 72 ru.
Join us from 7pm Monday for live updates of the third Blackcaps v West Indies T20.
