Umar Gul became the first man to take five wickets in a Twenty20 international as Pakistan thrashed New Zealand in the Super Eights.
Right-arm seamer Gul returned 5-6 to help bowl the Kiwis out for 99, the lowest total of the tournament so far.
Shahzaib Hasan marked his international debut with 35 off 28 balls before Pakistan, who had fallen to 71-4, posted 100-4 in 13.1 overs at The Oval.
Their six-wicket victory puts them in the hunt for a semi-final place.
Pakistan are now level on points with New Zealand and Sri Lanka at the top of Group F and, depending on other results, they could seal a last-four spot if they beat Ireland at The Oval on Monday.
"It was a good toss to lose," said Pakistan captain Younus Khan. "The key thing is getting a wicket in the first six overs and we got three.
"In the last couple of years Umar has bowled very well in Twenty20 cricket, he knows how to play this format."
Gul added: "It was a special day. The main thing was bowling the first six overs very well. The captain told me to go for wickets so that's what I did. I've been practising yorkers and it paid off."
Pakistan made a poor start with the ball in their defeat by Sri Lanka on Friday but on this occasion it was they who took the early initiative.
Despite Mohammad Aamir's first over costing 11 runs as Brendon McCullum got going in style, the Pakistan bowlers were quick to establish a disciplined rhythm and Younus' men were both vocal and sharp in the field.
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They could hardly have wished for a better reward for their efforts as Black Caps danger-man McCullum skipped down the track and drove the superb Abdul Razzaq (2-17) to Fawad Alam at point.
Aaron Redmond and Martin Guptill got the scoreboard ticking over but Pakistan were still buzzing from their breakthrough and gave their supporters more to cheer about with the removal of both men.
Left-arm seamer Aamir (1-23) coaxed Redmond into mistiming an attempted heave over mid-on, gifting a catch to Gul, before Razzaq had Guptill trapped leg-before with a full, in-swinging delivery.
New Zealand were in real trouble and their predicament worsened when, with the run-rate already below six an over, Jacob Oram lofted Shahid Afridi (2-17) to Misbah-ul-Haq at extra cover.
With boundaries few and far between, the Black Caps were forced to trades in ones and twos as Afridi and Gul produced spells which were tailor-made for Twenty20 cricket.
Afridi drew applause from all sections of the crows after running backwards from mid-on to remove Scott Styris with a magnificent catch in front of the rope to give Gul his first victim.
His second arrived the very next ball when Peter McGlashan was trapped plumb in front of his stumps attempting to sweep.
Nathan McCullum, brother of Brendon, made just seven off 11 balls before seeing his leg stump uprooted by Gul, who again took two wickets in two balls as James Franklin was bowled playing across the line and Kyle Mills was caught by Shahzaib off a leading edge.
 Vettori cut a disgruntled figure as his side succumbed |
New Zealand had been torn to shreds and their evening was summed up when fit-again skipper Daniel Vettori, playing his first match of the tournament, succumbed to a needless run out.
Pakistan carried the momentum into their own innings and even had luck on their side when Kamran Akmal took five runs off the final ball of Mills' opening over.
The right-hander had already run a single when a direct hit at the non-striker's end raced away for four.
Akmal and Shahzaib were quick to open their shoulders and hit out with understandable abandonment - Shahzaib clubbed Vettori over long-on for six and Akmal got a maximum of his own by lofting Mills straight back over his head.
The very next ball Akmal pulled Mills straight to Guptill at deep square leg but Shahzaib continued the belt New Zealand to all parts of the ground, hitting Ian Butler for two fours and a six in the sixth over.
Razzaq was caught behind off Vettori and Shahzaib was run out by Brendon McCullum after setting off for a suicidal single.
Vettori was bowling superbly, giving the ball plenty of flight and landing it on a sixpence outside off stump, and when Shoaib Malik chipped the spinner to cover, Pakistan were suddenly 71-4 and looking nervous.
But Afridi pulled Butler for a timely six to get his side back on track and their triumph was confirmed when Brendon McCullum and Neil Broom collided in the field, allowing Afridi to take two off the bowling of Nathan McCullum.
"We discussed the wicket with the teams who played before us (South Africa and West Indies) and thought that if we made a reasonable total we could exert pressure on Pakistan," said Vettori.
"But our total was not good enough. They bowled very well but we never got the momentum going.
"One partnership is enough in Twenty20 cricket - it gives you the momentum - but we never got one."
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