Henry Nicholls has scored his maiden one-day international half-century as New Zealand set Pakistan 281 to win the opening game of the three-match series.
Nicholls, in for the injured Ross Taylor, led a rescue effort with 82 after the Black Caps, who had been sent in to bat in Wellington on Monday, had been reduced to 99-6.
Some big hitting by tail-enders Matt Henry and Mitchell McClenaghan helped to carry New Zealand to 280-8.
Henry, despite being hit on the helmet, smashed an unbeaten 48 from 30 balls, including eight boundaries, four of them sixes.
McClenaghan chimed in with 31 from 18 balls, as the pair put on 73 - a record New Zealand ninth-wicket stand against Pakistan.
But McClenaghan had to retire hurt with one ball to go, having been struck on the temple when the ball went through a gap in his helmet.
He and Henry built on the recovery started by Nicholls and fellow young left-hander Mitchell Santner with an 85-run partnership for the seventh wicket.
Both had a life, with Nicholls getting a lucky break on 15 when first slip Mohammad Hafeez put down a head-high catch.
A driven boundary off Anwar took the 24-year-old left-hander past his previous best score of 23.
He hit seven boundaries on his way to 82 before dragging an Anwar Ali delivery onto his stumps.
Santner, on 11, offered a more difficult chance when slogging at spinner Imad Wasim, and a running Babar Azam couldn't hold on in the deep.
He was on 48 when he was caught behind trying to pull a bouncer from giant left-arm seamer Mohammad Irfan.
Earlier, Pakistan skipper Azhar Ali won the toss at the Basin Reserve and elected to field.
His attack backed him up with some excellent line and length bowling that produced wickets early and regularly.
Left-arm seamer Mohammad Amir finished with the best figures of 3-28 before having to go off with a leg injury in his ninth over, while right-arm paceman Anwar took 3-66.
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