England's bowlers held their nerve in the face of a Kiwi onslaught to keep their World Cup dream alive in a hard-fought 20-run win at the Gabba.
The scene of so many horrors for English cricket down the years was a cauldron of joy for Jos Buttler and his side as they came through the first of two must-win matches with style. Their top order batting fired, their bowlers never let New Zealand get away, and thanks to the introduction of Chris Jordan as a substitute fielder for Liam Livingstone, they took the catches that mattered.
With 180 to defend on a decent deck in Brisbane, there was always the chance that New Zealand could have landed a mortal blow to England’s tournament. And while Glenn Phillips and Kane Williamson were busy putting on 91 in 10 overs the game was anyone’s for the taking.
