New Zealand completed their Twenty20 series against Pakistan at University Oval in Dunedin on Wednesday with two matches remaining after opener Finn Allen hit a career-high 137 off 62 balls.
In the third game of the five-match series, the Black Caps were put into bat and triumphed by 45 runs after holding Pakistan to 179 for seven and amassing an incredible 224 for seven.
It came after they had won the first two matches by scores of 46 and 21 runs, respectively.
The daring Allen blasted 16 sixes and five fours in his furious innings, building on his 74 off 21 balls in game two. He often hit the ball over the fence.
The opener's 137 broke the previous mark of 123 established by Brendon McCullum and tied the world record of 16 sixes in an innings held by Afghanistan's Hazratullah Zazai. It is also the greatest score by a New Zealander in a Twenty20 international.
He dominated the bowling, hitting three sixes, two fours, and a single to take 27 off of Haris Rauf's over.
On a miserable day with the ball for Pakistan, Rauf gave up 60 runs in his four overs, while Mohammad Nawaz gave away 44 and Shaheen Afridi 43.
Tim Seifert and Allen put on 125 for the second wicket after Devon Conway was dismissed for seven early on. Seifert only made 31 as he chose to play singles in order to keep the hard-hitting opener on strike.
Allen blasted balls out of the ground three times, forcing the umpires to call for replacement balls.
After being bowled by an off-cutter from Zaman Khan in the eighteenth over, the opening was eventually undone. Khan then cheered the New Zealand batsmen as he exited the pitch.
Pakistan, in response, never appeared to be approaching the necessary 11.25 run pace.
They lost four wickets for just 39 runs after reaching 95 for two in the eleventh over due to a string of unfortunate incidents.
In a late cameo, Mohammad Nawaz hit 28 off 15 deliveries, but Babar Azam top-scored with 58 off 37 deliveries.
The final two games are on Friday and Sunday in Christchurch.
