The White Ferns have likely finished their World Cup campaign on a high, thrashing Pakistan by 71 runs at Christchurch's Hagley Oval.
A superb century from Suzie Bates (126) with the bat saw the White Ferns post 265/8 from their 50 overs, before a phenomenal spell of bowling from Hannah Rowe 5/55 restricted Pakistan to 194/9 in reply - giving the White Ferns one last hurrah in their home tournament.
While unlikely, the White Ferns can advance to the semi-finals should both India and England lose their respective matches on Sunday by a large enough margin.
England face Bangladesh, while India and South Africa will meet in the tournament's final two pool games.
Saturday's finale could also see the final appearance for Katey Martin as a White Fern, with the 37-year-old speculated to be hanging up her boots at the end of the tournament after more than 19 years as a New Zealand international.
Batting first after losing the toss, Bates led from the front for the White Ferns, and raced to her half-century in 54 balls.
Bates combined in partnerships worth 68 runs with Amelia Kerr (24), 60 with Maddy Green (23) and 51 with Brooke Halliday (29).
Already the White Ferns' leading run scorer, Bates passed the mark of 5000 one day international runs - the first Kiwi to do so - on her way to a 110-ball century, complete with 12 boundaries at the time of raising her bat.
Only India's Mithali Raj, and the English duo of Charlotte Edwards and Sarah Taylor have scored more runs in women's ODI cricket than Bates.
The innings was Bates' 12th ODI century, and fourth in a Cricket World Cup, standing tall after a tournament marked by New Zealand's struggles with the bat.
Those struggles were all too apparent after Bates' dismissal though, as the White Ferns slipped from 211/4 to 231/8 in search of a big finish.
But a quickfire partnership of 31 runs in 19 balls between Katey Martin (30 not out) and Frankie Mackay (nine not out) lifted the White Ferns to 265/8, just the second time New Zealand have batted their full 50 overs at this World Cup.
Nida Dar finished as the pick of Pakistan's bowlers with 3/39, while Anam Amin (1/58), Fatima Sana (1/69) and Nashra Sandhu (1/50) all took one wicket apiece.
Chasing 266 for victory, Pakistan's openers added 39 for the first wicket before Frankie Mackay struck to remove Sidra Ameen for 14, triggering a top order wobble.
From 39/0, Pakistan stumbled to 73/3 as Rosemary Mair took the wicket of Muneeba Ali (29) and Mackay removed Omaima Sohail (14).
An 82-run stand between captain Bismah Maroof and Nida Dar gave Pakistan a platform to try and launch from in the later overs, but Rowe's reintroduction to the bowling crease ended any hopes of a victory.
After her first three overs were smashed for 27 runs, Rowe returned and took the wicket of Bismah, strangling Pakistan's captain down leg and caught by Katey Martin, only given out after the original not out call was challenged by Sophie Devine.
Dar was dropped on 19 - coincidentally by Rowe - and batted on to reach 50 from 52 balls, before falling to her next ball. A slower delivery from Rowe completely outfoxed the right-hander, who lost her off-stump for exactly 50 runs.
Rowe had a third wicket with the first ball of her next over, as Aliya Riaz was caught behind by Martin trying to cut, before Sidra Nawaz also lost her stumps.
And at the end of the 41st over, Rowe claimed her fifth wicket for the first time as a White Fern, as Diana Baig chipped a slower ball straight to Mair at cover point.
At nine down, Rowe couldn't strike for a sixth and take the final Pakistan wicket, but her job was done, completing a 10-over spell with career-best figures of 5/55.
Pakistan's final wicket pair of Anam Amin and Nashra Sandhu survived the rest of their innings, batting for 54 balls to at the very least see Pakistan play out 50 overs, ending their tournament with a sixth defeat from seven games.
The White Ferns finish with three wins and four defeats, with Saturday's result at the very least taking their net run rate into a positive - albeit at +0.03 and in desperate need of results to fall heavily in their favour on Sunday.
New Zealand 265/8 (Bates 126; Nida Dar 3/39)
Pakistan 194/9 (Dar 50; Rowe 5/55, Mackay 2/29)
