It was a heart-breaking loss for the West Indies despite all-rounder Carlos Brathwaite scoring his maiden One-Day-International century but fell in the penultimate over as New Zealand ended all realistic hopes of progressing any further in the ICC World Cup last Saturday.
Chasing 292 at Old Trafford, West Indies were on the ropes at 167 for seven in the 27th over before the Barbadian arrived to plummet an astonishing 101 off 82 balls, only for his side to lose by five runs.
Brathwaite put on 47 for their eighth wicket with Kemar Roach (14), further 34 needed for the ninth with Sheldon Cottrell (15) and 41 for the final wicket with Oshane Thomas (0).
The match seemed in West Indies grasp when Braithwaite thrashed 25 from the 49th over, bowled Matt Henry — including three sixes — that left them with just eight runs to get from the last two overs.
Seamer Jimmy Neesham then produced a superb penultimate over in which Braithwaite scraped two runs off the fourth delivery to reach three figures.
But with six needed to win, Braithwaite attempted to clear the ropes at long-on instead, crushing West Indies’ hopes of a much needed win and was caught on the long-on boundary.
Opener Chris Gayle had earlier smashed 87 off 84 balls but was dropped three times and Hemron Hetmyer (54) from 45 balls had put on 122 for the third wicket to rescue West Indies from 20 for two, but fell in a devastating period for West Indies in which five wickets tumbled for 22 runs in the space of 29 deliveries.
Hetmyer was bowled by Lockie Ferguson, missing a slower ball and captain Jason Holder fell to a first-ball duck caught at the wicket off the very next delivery.
And with West Indies playing five specialist batsmen and Evin Lewis injured, Gayle then needlessly holed out in the deep off Colin de Grandhomme in the 24th over.
Left-arm seamer Trent Boult (4-30) and Ferguson (3-59) led the Black Caps bowling attack.
Earlier, captain Kane Williamson had played another splended knock of 148 as he held the New Zealand innings together,
Sent in to bat New Zealand lost both openers when the score was on 7. Martin Guptill (0) and Colin Munro (7).
