New Zealand's Finn Allen reacts after he was dismissed. Photo: Ramon Espinosa/AP
After just two games, the Black Caps World Cup dream is over. It is mathematically possible for them to qualify but requires miraculous scoring by minnow teams over cricket's powers.
Suffering a shock first up defeat to Afghanistan, New Zealand had to win today's match against the West Indies, but once again capitulated under the pressure.
A stuttering performance with the bat saw the Black Caps fall to a 13-run defeat, sending them crashing out of World Cup contention.
After having the hosts on the ropes early in the first innings, poor death bowling allowed the West Indies to cash in late.
A fighting half century from Sherfane Rutherford gave the West Indies a solid total to defend after New Zealand had them is serious strife at 76-7.
Rutherford's scored of 68 from 39 as the Black Caps managed to restrict the West Indies to 149-9.
The side made three changes to the eleven which lost its first match, with Tim Southee in for Matt Henry, Jimmy Neesham in for Michael Bracewell and Rachin Ravindra in for Mark Chapman.
Trent Boult and Southee caused the early damage before speedster Lockie Ferguson helped mop up the tail.
It was a superb start for the Kiwis as Boult bowled Johnson Charles for a five ball duck in an opening over which conceeded just the one run.
The West Indies were struggling with the pace and bounce of the pitch, taking 13 balls for the first boundary which came from Pooran, an edge flying past third man.
Daryl Mitchell spilled a chance at cover with Pooran on 13, and he immediately made the Kiwis pay with a boundary through mid on.
However, his reprieve wouldn't last long, skying one to Devon Conway behind the stumps who caught it brilliantly over his head to send the skipper walking for 17.
Ferguson then came into the attack and was straight into the wickets, Chase sending one down Ravindra's throat to have them reeling at 21-3.
The wickets kept tumbling, Rovman Powell guiding it straight to Conway after Southee strangled him with three dots on the trot.
Another bowling change brought Neesham into the attack, and it brought the first six of the innings, King whacking one over mid off, but his dismissal would come the following delivery.
Pitched on a length outside off, King knicked behind for Conway to take a third sharp catch, this time diving to his right, sending half the West Indies batting lineup to the sheds after just six overs.
A missfield from Williamson marked the first real mistake from the Black Caps in the field as Glenn Phillips was brought on to bowl with the Windies run rae languishing below five.
The hosts took nine from Phillips' first, their best over of the innings to date.
The pair of Rutherford and Akeal Hosein appeared to be building a nice partnership, reaching 28 from 27 before it was broken in soft style, Hosein chipping Mitch Santner straight to Neesham.
His wicket brought the dangerous Andre Russell to the middle, and he made an immediate impact, taking Fergusson for 17, including two big sixes.
The fireworks fizzled fast though as Williamson brought Boult back and Russell skewed a slow ball to Ferguson who swallowed it.
A flurry from Rutherford and Romario Shepherd gave the home side some hope of defendable total, but Ferguson soon trapped Shepherd plumb in front for 13.
Rutherford pushed on but was running out of partners, Boult castleing Alzarri Joseph for six as the hosts lost their ninth and Boult ended with 3 for 16.
Mitchell came on to bowl the 19th and was dispatched for three sixes by Rutherford to rocket the total past 130 and bring up his half century off 33 balls.
Tasked with the final six balls of the innings, Santner went for 18 as the Kiwis conceded 37 in the final 12 balls.
After a subdued first couple of overs to start the chase, Finn Allen found the rope in the third before Devon Conway held out to Chase off Hosein.
Allen was next to go, splicing one to Russell after reaching 26.
Williamson made just one before he knicked one behind to pooran to put the Black Caps in a hole at 39-3.
Mitchell joined Rachin Ravindra in the middle with a heap of work ahead of them but neither could deliver however and were gone for 10 and 12 respectively.
Given a golden chance for a run out and to potentially end the contest as Phillips stranded himself halfway down the pitch, Pooran could have walked it to the stumps but opted to throw and missed by a mile.
Another chance then went begging as Neesham chipped to legside, but it went through the hands of Charles who was well in from the boundary and struck the rope on the full as the equation got down to 69 from 36.
However, the run rate quickly ballooned out of control and needing to press the issue, Neesham held out to Alzaari in the deep.
Joined by Santner, Phillips plundered 40 from 33 but just as he dared to make Black Caps fans hope, he sent one straight into the sky, coming down into the awaiting hands of Powell.
Alazaari was then on a hat-trick as Tim Southee came and went for a golden duck.
With the game all but over, Boult swung one into the stands and was caught off the next ball.
Needing 33 from the final over, Santner went back to back off the first two but a dot with the third hammered the final nail in the coffin.
Only a no ball could have prevented a West Indies win, and Shepherd kept his cool to claim it and crush New Zealand hopes.
New Zealand's Devon Conway takes a catch to dismiss West Indies' Nicholas Pooran. Photo: Ramon Espinosa/AP
Black Caps captain Kane Williamson said the team needs to pick itself up for the last two matches of its T20 World Cup.
Speaking after the 13-run loss, Williamson said the team needs to bounce back quickly.
He said the team has no excuses; it has needed to find more runs in its opening matches and never did.
"With two games to go we need to work on our run rate," he said.
Next up for New Zealand is Uganda.
