Twenty20 World Cup co-hosts West Indies have sailed into the Super Eight stage of the tournament, with a 13-run victory against the Blackcaps, who look to be heading for an early exit, after their second successive defeat in Group C.
West Indies batsman Sherfane Rutherford transformed a match his team appeared doomed to lose with a scintillating unbeaten 68 from 39 balls to propel the home side into the knockout stage.
The New Zealanders are now relying on Papua New Guinea to shock Afghanistan on Friday, when a win for the undefeated favourites would put the final nail in their coffin.
The co-hosts recovered from 30/5 in the seventh over at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy to reach a competitive 149/9 on a tricky surface following heavy rain.
Glenn Phillips struck 40 from 33 balls and Mitchell Santner lofted three sixes in the final over for New Zealand, but a slow start meant they eventually fell short by 13 runs.
Asked to bat, West Indies were in dire straits, before Rutherford salvaged their fortunes with an exhibition of uninhibited strokeplay, lofting six sixes into an exuberant crowd dancing to both his strokes and the steel drums.
The Kiwis, who entered the game short of both form and match practice, after losing by 84 runs to Afghanistan in their first match, made an excellent start.
Left-arm paceman Trent Boult dismissed Johnson Charles for a duck, when the opener dragged a full delivery onto his stumps, and newball partner Tim Southee had Nicholas Pooran caught for 17, wicketkeeper Devon Conway making the catch turning and running backwards.
Roston Chase lasted only three balls, before he was caught for a duck off Lockie Ferguson's first over and Southee struck again with the wicket of Rovman Powell, caught by Conway for one.
Andre Russell restored the crowd's high spirits with 14 from a Ferguson over and Kane Williamson immediately recalled Boult, who responded by dismissing him caught with a ball the batsman completely mistimed.
Boult then ended a bright partnership by clean-bowling Alzarri Joseph for six in this final over to finish with three for 16.
The crowd were temporarily silenced, but recovered their voices, as Rutherford, ably supported by the tailenders, went on the attack, lofting Daryl Mitchell for three consecutive sixes, before taking 20 off the final over from Santner.
New Zealand were soon struggling, losing quick wickets including Williamson (1) caught at slip from his second ball, attempting a cut off left-arm spinner Gudakesh Motie.
Motie then dismissed Rachin Ravindra - one of three changes to the New Zealand side - for 10 and followed up by bowling Mitchell for 12, before Phillips and then Santner gave the visitors some hope, but it was too little and too late.
"I am going to keep 68 close to my heart," said man-of-the-match Rutherford. "I knew, if we got momentum, I could make it in the end.
"Hopefully, we can continue the momentum."
Afghanistan look primed to claim the second Super Eight place from the group, after winning both their matches so far.
Reuters
