They looked down and out after successive defeats had left their hopes hanging by a thread but the real England have stood up to be counted just in time in this World Cup to seize their semi-final place.
It was not exactly in their pre-World Cup script for an England side who have conquered all before them to need victories over two of the best teams in the tournament in India and New Zealand to qualify for the last four.
But win their last two group games they have by regaining much of their lost mojo and coping with the pressure that was at its most intense when they crashed to those unexpected defeats by Sri Lanka and Australia.
Jonny Bairstow scored his second successive century as England posted 305-8 in 50 overs
They had a welcome slice of good fortune against New Zealand in Durham to help them along yesterday, too, when Mark Wood got a fingertip to a Ross Taylor drive off his own bowling to deflect the ball onto the stumps and run out dangerman Kane Williamson.
At that stage, with New Zealand 61 for two chasing England’s 305 for eight, the nerves were still jangling and the nightmare scenario of the business end of this tournament taking place without the hosts was still a real possibility.
Yet, once Williamson was dismissed in freakish fashion for his lowest score in this World Cup and Ross Taylor then joined him in being run out when he foolishly took on Adil Rashid’s arm, England could breathe again.
Bairstow and Jason Roy shared an opening stand of 123 at the Riverside on Wednesday
What a rollercoaster ride England have endured in achieving the very minimum of their World Cup ambitions but how confident they will be now that they can go on and win a tournament they have prioritised for the last four years.
They have certainly looked much better at Edgbaston against India and now here at the Riverside and will almost certainly have to take on Virat Kohli and company again in the second semi-final back in Birmingham between the second and third placed group teams.
That will be a heavyweight clash to savour next Thursday but for now England can be satisfied they have found a way to adapt to the more challenging pitches the ICC have overseen in this tournament in an attempt to negate home advantage.
None more so than a restored opening partnership between Jonny Bairstow and Jason Roy that has done so much to save England from the mother and father of all inquests that would have accompanied their departure now.
Kane Williamson was run out backing up via the tiniest of touches off Mark Wood’s hand
Bairstow clearly missed Roy when he was absent for three matches with a hamstring injury but now he was inspired by his presence again to make his second hundred in consecutive matches and England’s seventh in this tournament.
England have realised batting first is very much the way to go in this World Cup and now Bairstow and Roy raced to their 10th partnership of a hundred or more after Eoin Morgan had won another important toss and eschewed his previous preference to chase.
How refreshing it was to see England bashing the ball around in the manner we have become accustomed to and how ecstatic Bairstow was when he reached three figures again having seen Roy depart for 60 and furiously admonish himself for giving it away.
There was a pointed celebration from Bairstow, too, tapping his head to the amusement of the England dressing room, that might have been a nod to the man he clashed verbally with in the wake of the Australian defeat in Michael Vaughan.
Ross Taylor is run out by England wicket keeper Jos Buttler as New Zealand came up short
Then, with Bairstow unbeaten and England on 194 for one after 30 overs, there seemed a very real possibility of the first score of 400 in a tournament that has largely bucked the big-hitting trend of modern 50-over cricket.
But, with the pitch getting slower and a New Zealand attack minus their injured fastest bowler in Lockie Ferguson finally hitting the right lengths, England made a decent attempt at blowing their advantage and letting the perennial dark horses back into it.
Joe Root was caught down the legside and wasted England’s review while Bairstow quickly fell and Jos Buttler and even the in-form Ben Stokes could not get going as wickets tumbled and England hastily re-set their sights on reaching 300, let alone 400.
They managed to get up to 305, mainly thanks to some productive late hitting from Liam Plunkett and Rashid, but a New Zealand side virtually assured of a semi-final date against Australia already, were still in it at the halfway stage.
Yet a New Zealand team currently a shadow of Brendon McCullum’s aggressive 50-over pioneers were woeful from the moment Henry Nicholls was given lbw first ball by umpire S Ravi to a delivery from Chris Woakes that was going over the stumps.
Once Jofra Archer had claimed Martin Guptill for his 17th World Cup wicket, more than any Englishman in any World Cup, and Wood’s finger of fate did for Williamson on his home ground, New Zealand’s chase fizzled out into an attempt to protect their run-rate.
Wood, watched by a large local gathering of family and friends, ended with three for 34 as New Zealand were tumbled out for 186 to give England a thumping 119-run victory. Job done but how they have played with our emotions on the way to this point.
New Zealand will now crawl into the semi-finals at the expense of an unfortunate Pakistan barring a mathematical miracle on the back of three successive defeats and grateful for the single point that came from their washout against India.
England, to the huge relief of everyone with an interest in the domestic game, are in much finer fettle after what was, astonishingly, their first victory against New Zealand in any World Cup since 1983.
The ‘rock bottom’ of their humiliation at the hands of McCullum’s Black Caps four years ago that sparked England’s one-day revolution in the first place can finally be consigned to history now and a first ever World Cup is an enticing two wins away. And breathe.