Anderson's seamers dislodged opener Kirk Edwards for 55 and No 3 Darren Bravo for only four during the final session of a rain-interrupted day at the Basin Reserve, as the West Indies closed day two on 158-4; 283 runs behind New Zealand's first innings total of 441.
Bravo's wicket was particularly crucial given the 24-year-old made 218 in the drawn first test in Dunedin last week and boasts an imposing test record with an average in the mid-40s.
A spell of rain after lunch delayed the start of the West Indies' first innings and basically one session was lost today due to inclement weather in the capital.
When play finished for the day at 7.01pm, Marlon Samuels was at the crease on 50 with Narsingh Deonarine in support on 11.
The visitors lost veteran Shivnarine Chanderpaul late in proceedings when left-arm seamer Trent Boult nabbed the 39-year-old for only six as Anderson pocketed the catch at cover-point in a vital dismissal for New Zealand.
The West Indies will begin day three at the earlier time of 10am tomorrow needing to spend a vast amount of overs at the crease as they look to turn the tide against the home side.
Earlier in the day, New Zealand's tail wagged as they kicked on from their overnight total of 307-6 following a lengthy ground delay.
Morning drizzle pushed the start of play back until 11.45am and with more than an hour lost, BJ Watling and Tim Southee took advantage of some loose bowling on offer from the visitors.
Southee added 12 quick runs to his overnight score as he departed for 21, while No 9 Ish Sodhi came and went for a rapid 27 as Watling held firm at the other end.
When Sodhi departed, Neil Wagner fell immediately after and Tino Best found himself on a hat-trick but No 11 Trent Boult prodded away the hat-trick ball.
Boult and Watling then combined for a record-breaking partnership of 58 as the pair registered the highest 10th-wicket stand for New Zealand against the West Indies, beating the former mark of 45 set by Robert Kennedy and Danny Morrison in Barbados in 1996.
Watling was the last man out for a well-compiled 65 when he had his stumps rearranged by Shannon Gabriel, who finished with figures of 2-86.
Boult was not out on 38 from only 27 balls and showed plenty of spark with the bat, including an aggressive spurt of boundaries from the spin bowling of Shane Shillingford.
Best was certainly erratic for the West Indies but eventually finished with 4-110 from 21 overs, while skipper Darren Sammy took 2-92.
