A rapid half-century from an ill Glenn Phillips has powered the Blackcaps to a historic one-day series victory over Pakistan, winning the decider at Karachi.
After coming down with a stomach virus and leaving the field, Phillips was relegated to No.7 in the batting order and joined Tom Latham at the crease with New Zealand still needing 100 runs from just 87 balls, with five wickets remaining.
Despite the daunting task, he wasted no time freeing the arms and stroking the Pakistan bowlers to all parts of the ground, bringing up his maiden ODI half-century off just 28 balls.
Latham (16) and Mitchell Santner's wickets (15) couldn't delay the inevitable, as Phillips held his nerve to steer the Blackcaps home and claim the two-wicket victory with 11 balls to spare.
After winning the toss and electing to bat, Pakistan looked likely to set a target of more 300 runs, but collapsed late. Pakistani opener Fakhar Zaman (101) and Mohammed Rizwan (77) put on a 154-run partnership to have the home side 175/2 after 33 overs.
Blackcaps fast bowler Lockie Ferguson's wicket of remaining opener Shan Masood for a duck and Michael Bracewell's dismissal of star batter Babar Azam did little to stop Pakistan's charge.
Zaman and Rizwan manipulated the NZ bowlers skillfully, before a double strike inside a few overs sent both batters back to the shed. Leg-spinner Ish Sodhi breached Rizwan's defence to have him bowled, before substitute fielder Henry Nicholls ran out Zaman short of his crease.
New batters Haris Sohail (22) and Aghna Salman (45) threatened to repeat Zaman and Rizwan's successful stand, but their dismissals brought on a collapse. Nicholls again proved his worth in the field, grabbing his second runout to leave Sohail well short of his ground.
Kept quiet early, Blackcaps bowler Tim Southee turned the screws, grabbing the next three wickets of Nawaz (8), Salman and Mir (6). Playing in his 50th ODI, Ferguson removed the final wicket of Hasnain (4), as Pakistan posted 280/9 in their 50 overs.
New Zealand's chase began steadily, with openers Finn Allen and Devon Conway putting on 43 runs for the first wicket.
Allen (25) was the first to fall, after Pakistan's substitute fielder ran him out, bringing veteran captain Kane Williamson to the crease. He and Conway shared a team-high 65-run partnership, with both reaching half-centuries.
Conway's dismissal for 52 off the bowling of Salman saw Daryl Mitchell join Williamson and the No.4 batter looked as if he would assume the opener's role.
He made 31 runs, before Salman struck again, as the Blackcaps began to lose wickets at regular intervals and Pakistan took ascendancy.
Williamson (53) was next to depart, before Bracewell (7) was dismissed just a couple of overs later, bringing Phillips to the crease.
The all-rounder was forced from the field in the first innings with a stomach bug and was vomiting before his timely return. His time off meant he had to bat lower in the order.
But sickness did little to slow Phillips down and he quickly hit a couple of lusty blows over the boundary rope, before Latham was clean-bowled by Mohammed Wasim for just seven runs.
With new batter Santner playing the role of anchor, Phillips made kept the runrate in NZ's favour with two more sixes. Santner (15) was eventually bowled by Nawaz, with next in Sodhi not lasting much longer with a nine-ball duck.
But the damage was already done, as Phillips hit the winning runs in the very next over to finish unbeaten on 63 and seal a historic series win for NZ in Pakistan.
Pakistan 280/9 (Zaman 101, Rizwan 77, Salman 45; Southee 3/56, Ferguson 2/63) New Zealand 281/8 (Phillips 63*, Williamson 53, Conway 52; Wasim 2/35, Salman 2/42)
New Zealand win by two wickets
