A small but hardy crowd of 430 watched at the University Oval as the visitors chased down a modest target of 128 to win by seven wickets.
It was Pakistan’s first T20 win over the White Ferns in nine attempts.
Opener Shawaal Zulfiqar helped set up the win with 41 from 42 balls, and Nida Dar chipped in with 23.
But it was medium pacer Fatima Sana who played the most influential role. She removed the White Ferns top three to finish with three for 18 from her four over allotment.
The White Ferns were underwhelming with the bat.
Maddy Green was the only player to really get going.
She stroked an undefeated 43 from 28 deliveries to get the home side through to 127 for six.
It was probably 20 short.
The problems were evident early for the White Ferns.
Opener Suzie Bates had a nervous moment when she spooned the ball into the leg side and then took off for a quick single which could have ended badly.
Bernadine Bezuidenhout played a nice sweep shot off Sadia Iqbal, then employed a reverse sweep the next ball for the same result.
That helped inject some momentum into the powerplay.
Bates hoicked the ball to the midwicket to bring up her first boundary, then blazed a wide full toss through the covers.
But Bezuidenhout’s innings was cut short on 13 thanks to a terrific catch from Omaima Sohail at deep square leg.
She moved quickly to her right and plucked the ball out of the air with both hands.
An inch or two more elevation and that shot was going for six.
Fatima Sana found her range, though.
She bowled Kate Anderson, who had French cut the previous delivery for a lucky boundary, for seven,
Bates went next. She shuffled to off and was trapped in front for 28. Big breakthrough that. Pakistan was on top.
Sophie Devine had made her presence felt early. She got down the wicket and slapped the ball to the long-off boundary.
The home team’s prospects of reaching a decent total rested on her shoulders.
But that baton was passed to Green when Devine holed out at long-on for 11.
Pakistan put on 40 for the opening wicket which would have been just dandy, except the partnership had hitched the visitors to the slow lane.
What they needed was flurry of boundaries and opener Shawaal Zulfiqar and Nida Dar delivered.
The tourists scored 15 off the 10th over and that proved to be the turning point in the innings.
Dar put her side further on the front foot when she swung a delivery from Lea Tahuhu for six, and Aliya Riaz (25 off 12) smashed a six into the sight screen to register the win with style.
NEW ZEALAND
B Bezuidenhout c Sohail b Sana 13
S Bates lbw Sana 28
K Anderson b Sana 7
S Devine c Khan b Riaz 11
M Green not out 43
H Rowe c Dar b Baig 14
J Kerr not out 1
Extras (3lb, 3w) 5
Total (6 wickets, 20 overs) 127
Fall: 1-33, 2-44, 3-59, 4-80, 5-90, 6-118.
Bowling: Diana Baig 4-0-27-1, Sadia Iqbal 4-0-29-0, Fatima Sana 4-0-18-3 (2w), N Dar 4-0-19-1 (1w), Umme Hani 3-0-25-0, Aliya Riaz 1-0-7-1.
PAKISTAN
M Ali c Carson b Devine 23
S Zulfiqar c Kerr b Devine 41
Nida Dar c Bates b Carson 23
Bismah Maroof not out 13
A Riaz not out 25
Extras (2lb, 5w) 7
Total (3 wickets, 18.2 overs) 132
Fall: 1-40, 2-91, 3-93.
Bowling: J Kerr 3.2-0-21-0 (2w), H Rowe 2-0-15-0, F Jonas 4-0-20-0, L Tahuhu 2-0-24-0 (1w), E Carson 4-0-27-1 (1w), S Devine 3-0-23-2.
Result: Pakistan won by seven wickets.
