The Black Caps have been beaten by the West Indies in their crucial T20 pool game in Trinidad and Tobago today, meaning they will not take part in the knockout phase of the tournament.
After being thrashed by Afghanistan in their first game, this afternoon’s was critical to their hopes of moving beyond the pool stage.
Instead, despite restricting the tournament co-hosts to 149-9, they will not progress after they fell short with 136-9 - only Glenn Phillips (40 off 33 balls) and some late hitting from Mitch Santner offering significant resistance.
Their remaining games are against Uganda and Papua New Guinea. No matter what happens in those the Black Caps will return home from one of their most underwhelming global tournaments in recent memory.
In front of a frenzied home crowd, the Windies appeared set for a paltry total thanks to an excellent bowling spell from Trent Boult, who took 3-16 off his four overs.
Tim Southee also shone in taking 2-21, with Lockie Ferguson chipping in with 2-27.
However, Sherfane Rutherford, who hit an unbeaten 68 off 39 balls, helped his side smash 37 off the last two overs of New Zealand’s innings bowled by Daryl Mitchell, who conceded 19, including three sixes, and Mitch Santner, who conceded 18.
In reply, the Black Caps, who have had a limited build-up to this tournament, were 58-4 at the halfway stage.
Opener Finn Allen scored 26, including three fours and a six, before skying a shot to fine leg, with skipper Kane Williamson out for only one after edging to the keeper.
Devon Conway was out for five, with Rachin Ravindra, not included in the XI for the first game, out for 10 after clipping a ball straight to the fielder at deep midwicket.
Mitchell, 12, was clean bowled by a straight one.
At 66-5 it could have been even worse for New Zealand, with Jimmy Neesham narrowly avoiding being run out. A hit from keeper Nicholas Pooran would have seen Neesham stranded by four metres.
Neesham won another big slice of luck when his chip to the square leg boundary fielder was not only dropped but helped over the rope for six.
But with the run rate rising – the Black caps required 11.5 an over with six overs remaining and 13 runs per over with five remaining – it appeared a victory was an increasingly unlikely prospect.
Deciding he needed to up the rate, Neesham went for a slog down the ground and was caught for 10 by Brandon King, who had to wait a long time for it.
Phillips provided entertainment with 10 runs off the first three balls of the 17th over but could manage only another three for the remainder, leaving New Zealand with a target of 50 runs off 18 balls.
Phillips hit back-to-back boundaries off Alzarri Joseph in the next over but miscued the next ball and was out caught at long on and with him went New Zealand’s hopes.
Southee was out for his now customary low score – caught and bowled for a golden duck. Boult narrowly avoided handing Joseph a hat-trick, and Santner, 21 not out, provided some late-hitting drama with three sixes in the last over.
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