New Zealand bowled out West Indies for 262 on day three at Sabina Park to put themselves in position to record just their second ever Test win in the Caribbean.
After making 508-7 in their first innings, the Kiwis were batting again before the close of play and led by 260 runs after opting not to enforce the follow-on.
Debutant spinner Mark Craig dismissed Kieran Powell and Kirk Edwards while the scores were on 60, and a promising Windies start soon fell apart as Darren Bravo was caught and bowled to leave them 61-3.
Chris Gayle made 64 in his 100th Test match before becoming one of four Tim Southee victims, while Marlon Samuels was the second home batsman to fall for a duck when Southee trapped him lbw.
Veteran batsman Shivnarine Chanderpaul held the innings together with an unbeaten 84, but apart from 39 from new captain Denesh Ramdin, he got little support from the middle and lower order.
Useful hitting from Sulieman Benn (17) and Shane Shillingford (14) helped add 68 for the last two wickets, but Southee got rid of the latter on the way to recording figures of 4-19, leaving the Windies 246 adrift.
Black Caps skipper Brendon McCullum chose to bat again and although they lost Peter Fulton and Kane Williamson for single figures before the end of play, they remain in a commanding position in Jamaica.
