Sherfane Rutherford rescued the West Indies with the bat, and their bowlers contained New Zealand to secure 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, which included two fours and six sixes, lifted the West Indies from a precarious 30 for five in the seventh over to a competitive total of 149 for nine after New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson elected to bowl first.

Facing a must-win situation after their opening defeat to Afghanistan, New Zealand struggled to build momentum in their chase, eventually being restricted to 136 for nine. This loss means New Zealand's chances of advancing beyond the group stage are slim, as they will be eliminated if Afghanistan defeats Papua New Guinea on Thursday.

West Indies pacer Alzarri Joseph (4 for 19) and spinners Gudakesh Motie (3 for 25) and Akeal Hosein (1 for 21) kept New Zealand in check, securing the home side's third consecutive victory and a spot in the Super Eight phase. The West Indies have one more group match against Afghanistan on Monday in St Lucia.

Glenn Phillips was the only New Zealand batsman to put up a significant fight, scoring 40 off 33 balls. However, his dismissal by Joseph in the 18th over ended New Zealand's hopes of victory, despite Mitchell Santner hitting three sixes off Romario Shepherd in the final over.