A spectacular innings of 93 from Martin Guptill has helped the Blackcaps to a 16-run victory over Scotland at the Twenty20 World Cup in the UAE.
Guptill, 35, defied gruelling conditions in extreme heat in Dubai, smashing seven sixes in his 56-ball knock that helped the Blackcaps recover from an early innings wobble.
Defending 172 for victory, the Blackcaps couldn't bowl the associate nation out, instead restricting Scotland to 156/5 in their reply.
The win sees the Blackcaps sit third in group two courtesy of net run rate, with their +0.816 inferior to Afghanistan's huge +3.097. Pakistan have already qualified for the semi-finals, thanks to wins over the Blackcaps, India, Afghanistan and Namibia.
The Blackcaps are back in action against Namibia on Friday night (NZ time), before rounding out the Super 12 stage against Afghanistan - in what could prove to be an effective quarter-final for New Zealand.
Losing the toss and asked to bat first, the Blackcaps were rocked early by three quick wickets, reduced from 35/0 to 52/3.
As Daryl Mitchell was trapped lbw by Safyaan Sharif for 13, the Blackcaps were then hampered by the loss of captain Kane Williamson for a four-ball duck, strangled down the leg side in the same over.
To make matters worse, Devon Conway was out caught behind off the bowling of Mark Watt for one, to leave the Blackcaps on the brink of trouble against the minnows.
But amid the falling wickets, Guptill stood tall. In partnership with Glenn Phillips (33 from 37), Guptill went about reviving the New Zealand innings.
In a courageous innings in the searing Dubai heat, Guptill took Scotland apart through the middle overs, reaching a half century from 35 balls, hitting five fours and three sixes as he raised his bat.
After already passing the milestone of 3000 runs in T20 Internationals with a six, Guptill passed 50 sending leg spinner Chris Greaves over the rope for a 102m hit - the second biggest recorded blow of the tournament so far.
As Sharif returned into the attack in the 16th over, Guptill greeted him with six over midwicket, before going again over long on.
Together, Guptill and Phillips added 105 runs together for the fourth wicket, but the pair fell in consecutive deliveries.
Phillips went first, holing out at cow corner, before a visibility exhausted Guptill perished the next ball, caught at long on off the bowling of Brad Wheal, out for 93 from 56 balls, with six fours and seven sixes.
Only England's Jos Buttler has recorded a higher score at this year's World Cup.
But even after missing the chance to become the third man to hit three T20 International centuries, Guptill's effort saw the Blackcaps post 172/5 from their 20 overs.
Sharif finished as the pick of Scotland's bowlers with 2/28 from his four overs, while spinner Mark Watt also impressed with a staggering 1/13 from his four.
Scotland captain Kyle Coetzer gave his side a bright start, hitting four boundaries from the New Zealand opening duo of Trent Boult and Tim Southee, racing to 17 from 10 balls.
A slower ball from Boult ended Coetzer's knock though, as Southee took the catch running around from mid-on. Southee was in the act again to remove Coetzer's opening partner George Munsey (22 from 18), this time making incredible ground on the long-off boundary.
Despite wicketkeeper Matthew Cross (27 from 29) hitting Adam Milne's express pace for 20 runs in an over, the Scotland batting lineup couldn't score quickly enough to worry the Blackcaps.
Wicketless against India on Monday, Mitchell Santner again impressed with the ball despite not taking a wicket, finishing with figures of 0/23 from his four overs.
Needing 70 runs from the final five overs, Scotland at the very least went down swinging, thanks to an entertaining cameo from Michael Leask.
Batting at No. 6, Leask hammered an unbeaten 42 from 20 balls, including three fours and three sixes, but couldn't hit the 26 needed runs from the final over, bowled by Milne, as the Blackcaps sealed their second consecutive win.
Boult finished as the Blackcaps' best with 2/29, while Ish Sodhi also took two wickets - albeit at conceding 42 runs from his spell.
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