Sherfane Rutherford rescued the West Indies with the bat and their bowlers contained New Zealand to complete a 13-run victory in a Group C match of the T20 World Cup in Trinidad on Wednesday.
Rutherford's unbeaten 68 off 39 balls (two fours, six sixes) lifted the home side from the depths of 30 for five in the seventh over to a competitive 149 for nine after they were put in by Black Caps skipper Kane Williamson.
Thrashed in their opening match by Afghanistan and therefore in a virtual must-win situation, the Black Caps never developed any momentum in the chase in being restricted to 136 for nine.
The defeat leaves New Zealand needing a miracle to progress beyond the group stage. The Kiwis will be eliminated if Afghanistan defeat Papua New Guinea on Thursday.