The Aces batter whacked 77 runs off just 36 balls to bring up his highest T20 score in Auckland yesterday afternoon.
The part-time spinner then opened the bowling, taking one for 12 — and two catches — to help the Aces to an 88-run victory against the Volts in the men’s Super Smash clash.
Phillips, who returned to the Aces this season, was in fine form with 14 boundaries and well supported by Bevan Jacobs’ 53.
After the Aces posted 200 for six, it was a heavy total for the Volts to chase but they sat ahead of the Aces for much of the opening 10 overs.
But after then losing wickets, they struggled to get momentum and left themselves too big a hill to climb.
"I thought Dale was fantastic," Volts captain Max Chu told TVNZ.
"We were always sort of chasing the game after he lit us up in the power play.
"It’s a shame to see him in the dark blue instead of the royal.
"I actually thought our bowlers clawed it back really nicely. We know that 200’s about right out here.
"We probably just lost one too many wickets in the power play — that was probably on me."
Phillips edged consecutive boundaries to start and owned the opening overs, piling on run after run before new cap Luke Watson had even faced a ball.
Phillips smacked a huge six down the ground to help the Aces to 57 at the end of the power play.
The right-hander carved another through the offside to bring up his half-century off 26 balls.
Looking to get going, Watson went big and holed out to an easy catch for Jacob Cumming, also on debut.
Paceman Danru Ferns exacted his revenge on his old side when the Volts needed it most to remove danger man Phillips.
Former Black Cap Martin Guptill flicked his shot deep and was dropped by Cumming.
But he was caught deep by Jake Gibson off the next ball and put the Aces at 140 for three.
Volts spinner Ben Lockrose picked up another wicket when Sean Solia was caught by Matt Bacon.
Jacobs dispatched one out of the ground and followed up with another to bring up his third consecutive 50 off 30 balls.
Bacon produced some clutch bowling at the death, bowling Jacobs for 53 and conceding t the three runs.
Lockrose finished with three for 43.
In reply, Jamal Todd wasted no time making a dent in the chase, smacking Phillips to the boundary.
He sent another flying over the rope at deep square leg and then holed out to Ryan Harrison.
Cumming went the next over in similar fashion for two, leaving the Volts 15 for two.
Chu — captain with Luke Georgeson sidelined — timed a nice shot to the boundary and crushed another.
Jack Boyle flicked a lovely shot up up to the concord and Chu crushed another over the Volts’ dugout.
They started to rebuild nicely, but the big wicket of Chu went for 27.
The Volts finished the power play at 69 for three.
Guptill took a screamer of a catch at full stretch inside the circle to send Llew Johnson packing for three and Troy Johnson went shortly after.
That put the Volts at 86 for five in the ninth over.
Boyle and Jake Gibson were caught by Phillips in the 13th over as the required run rate climbed.
The Volts were dismissed for 112 in the 16th over.
Harjot Johal cleaned up through the 15th over, taking two wickets to finish with four from 21 in his three overs.
