West Indies beat New Zealand By 13 Runs In T20 World Cup 2024

Sherfane Rutherford rescued the West Indies with the bat and their bowlers contained New Zealand to complete a 13-run victory in a Group C match of the T20 World Cup in Trinidad on Wednesday.

- 'Play a blinder' -

"Looking at their bowling line-up I knew they were short two overs and I told myself to just be there at the end to make the most of it…and I thought I did that."

Rutherford received invaluable support from the lower order, adding 28 with Akeal Hosein for the sixth wicket, 27 with Romario Shepherd for the eighth and then plundered all 37 runs in the last two overs of the innings, bowled by Daryl Mitchell and Santner, with last man Motie happy to look on from the non-striker’s end.

Earlier, Trent Boult led New Zealand’s much-improved, finishing with the excellent figures of three for 16. Lockie Ferguson and the recalled Tim Southee complemented that effort with two wickets each as the 2021 beaten finalists looked much sharper in the field than against the Afghans.

"We knew it was going to be difficult to get runs on this wicket which is why the quality of Sherfane’s innings was of the highest," acknowledged losing captain Williamson.

"We took a decision to try to bowl them out, but unfortunately it didn't come up for us today."

After victories over Papua New Guinea and Uganda at the Guyana National Stadium, West Indies’ batting seemed unprepared for the challenge, until Rutherford intervened to transform what was shaping up as an abject capitulation.

"It is good that, after finding ourselves in so much trouble early on, the guys dug deep and we were able to pull this one out," said West Indies captain Rovman Powell.

"From the hotel the message was that someone would have to play a blinder. We always believe that individual brilliance is needed sometime in T20 cricket and Sherfane's knock was a fantastic effort. It gave us confidence and at the halfway mark we believed (we could do it.)