The Blackcaps have levelled their three-match one-day international series against the West Indies with a 50-run win in Barbados on Saturday (NZ time).
After losing captain Kane Williamson to injury late and being sent in to bat, the tourists limped to a total of 211, with Finn Allen's mature innings of 96 the only genuine highlight.
The stage appeared set for the Windies to close out the match and the series, until the veteran opening bowling tandem of Tim Southee and Trent Boult laid waste to the top order.
The pair struck early and often, trading wickets and reducing the hosts to just 27/6 by the 10th over to essentially kill off the contest.
Both finished with three wickets apiece - Southee's at the expense of 13 runs and Boult's for 18, as the Blackcaps held on to send the series to a decisive third match on Monday.
The Blackcaps got off to a tentative start with the bat, again, losing early wickets. Martin Guptill tried to relieve some pressure only to hole out for three runs, while Devon Conway quickly followed after chopping an Alzarri Joseph delivery on to his stumps.
When stand-in captain Tom Latham was caught off the third ball he faced without troubling the scorers, the visitors were suddenly reeling at 31/3.
Daryl Mitchell (41) entered and set about rebuilding the innings alongside opener Finn Allen, with the pair putting on a patient and composed 84-run partnership, before Mitchell departed in the 30th over with the total at 115.
Shortly afterwards rain intervened, sending the players off the ground for just under 90 minutes.
Michael Bracewell (6) departed soon after the resumption of play, bringing Glenn Phillips to the crease with the score at 153/5 with 14 overs left.
Phillips only lasted 11 deliveries, as his mistimed sweep shot turned into a straightforward catch for skipper Nicholas Pooran.
Allen then fell agonisingly short of his maiden ODI century, getting an inside edge on to his stumps off the bowling of Jason Holder, who was supreme through the closing stages.
Kevin Sinclair sent Jimmy Neesham packing the very next over to leave a promising fightback from the NZ batters in tatters, as they collapsed to 167/8 in the 42nd over.
Trent Boult (16) and Mitchell Santner (15) played a useful late hand to ensure the NZ total surpassed 200, with Sinclair ending their 31-run partnership and the innings with his fourth wicket in the penultimate over.
Boult snared Kyle Mayers in his first over to get the NZ defence off to the start it required, with Southee striking in his second to reduce the Windies to 2/11 in the fourth over.
Southee had Brandon King courtesy of a superb diving catch from Bracewell, before Boult struck twice in the ninth over, including the scalp of captain Nicholas Pooran.
When Southee had Jason Holder caught behind the very next over, the contest seemed like it may be decided early, with the Windies in huge peril at 27/6.
Keacy Carty and Yannic Cariah's brief stand was broken by a brilliant piece of fielding by Guptill, who hit directly with a swift underarm throw to catch Carty comfortably short.
The rain then returned to bring another halt to play with the hosts well off the pace at 63/7 in the 28th over.
Part-time bowler Phillips then picked up the wicked of Akeal Hosein after resumption, with Southee taking a neat catch.
But his dismissal brought Alzarri Joseph to the crease, who struck a quick-fire 49 to certainly cause a few nerves in the Blackcaps camp.
His cameo of seven boundaries, including two sixes, put the pressure back on New Zealand, before Southee struck.
The quick fired in at the stumps and cleaned up Joseph's wicket, much to the relief of the Blackcaps fans in attendance.
Cariah's stand would eventually end, as he was caught on the boundry by Allen, who did well to throw the ball back to himself, before going over the ropes.
New Zealand 212 (Allen 96, Mitchell 41; Sinclair 4/41) beat West Indies 161 (Cariah 52, Joseph 49; Southee 4/22)
Blackcaps win by 50 runs (D/L method)
