For the second time in three days, New Zealand showed what self-belief and faith in one's abilities can do. LIke against India at the Wanderers on Sunday, the Kiwis were in serious strife for a majority of their Group E Super Eight fixture against England at Kingsmead on Tuesday, but they held their nerve to eke out a thrilling five-run win.
Courtesy their second narrow win in as many games, Daniel Vettori's men have all but assured themselves of a place in the knockout semifinals. It will take an extraordinary turn of events for the Kiwis not to progress beyond the second stage, just as England will need a genuine miracle to not take an early flight out.
Paul Collingwood's decision to make first bowling use of the Kingsmead surface was as logical as they come. The early start meant whatever assistance there might have been for the bowlers would be first up, particularly with the harsh sun threatening to take the juice away quickly.
Desperately needing a win to keep their hopes alive following their 19-run loss to South Africa on Sunday, England began in a blaze of glory. Inside the first six overs, the Kiwis had subsided to 31 for four, and a rout appeared imminent before the experience and enterprise of Scott Styris and Craig McMillan allowed them to recover to 164 for nine.
Through Darren Maddy and Vikram Solanki — standing in for injured stumper Matt Prior who has been ruled out of the entire tournament — England began their chase in frenetic style, 62 coming for the first wicket in 41 deliveries.
It wasn't as bruising as the Gambhir-Sehwag association at the Wanderers, but it was perhaps an even better foundation because England have a much more versatile batting line-up than the Indians.
Once the openers had been separated with Vettori striking paydirt, the Kiwis kept whittling away at the Englishmen, who could manage no more than 159 for eight when they ran out of time. And to think that New Zealand had, quite frankly, just two world-class bowlers in their ranks!
Fortunately for them, both pace ace Shane Bond and their left-arm spinning captain came to the party, returning identical figures of two for 20 from four overs apiece.
Dangerous hitters
Even as the openers were going berserk, Bond more than held his own. When he came back for a final spell with 20 needing off 12, Bond dismissed dangerous hitters Dimitri Mascarenhas and Luke Wright, allowing Mark Gillespie to comfortably defend 16 off the final over. Vettori was equally impressive.
His variations in pace again tied England up in knots, though the acknowledged Twenty20 specialists made a hash of a routine run chase. Kevin Pietersen, in total command, was bowled attempting an unnecessary reverse sweep, while Owais Shah ran like a schoolboy, turning his back on Andrew Flintoff first, and then running himself out through tardiness and lethargy.
England's outcricket in the morning had been neither tardy nor lethargic. James Anderson got them off to the perfect start in the first over, getting rid of Brendon McCullum, while Flintoff and Stuart Broad also chipped in so that the Kiwi top had disappeared in a jiffy.
At 31 for four, an early finish loomed when Styris, horribly off-colour thus far, was joined by McMillan. Over the next half-hour, it rained sixes as both batsmen exploded after the briefest spell of watchfulness. Dimitri Mascarenhas and then Collingwood himself felt the full fury of scything willows with the two right-handers raising 60 (42b), bringing the innings back on an even keel.
Dominant force
McMillan was the totally dominant force in a further 43-run stand (22b) for the sixth wicket with Jacob Oram, and Vettori provided the final push with a cheeky little cameo, neutralising Maddy's twin strikes in his only over.
New Zealand went in to the break the more effervescent side; England came out strongly through Maddy and Solanki, but New Zealand's industry and Engand's own demons combined to throw up another unexpected twist that this format is so adept at throwing up.
For his half-century, a stunning catch at mid-wicket to get rid of Collingwood and a smart pick-up and throw to run Maddy out, McMillan was named man of the match, but this was most certainly a win for combined effort.

NEW ZEALAND
Vincent c Solanki b Broad 13
McCullum c Solanki b Anderson 4
Fulton lbw Flintoff 0
Taylor c Flintoff b Anderson 7
Styris (run out) 42
McMillan c M’enhas b Maddy 57
Oram b Maddy 8
Vettori (not out) 17
Bond b Collingwood 2
Gillespie (run out) 7
Extras (LB-3, W-4) 7
Total (for 9 wkts, 20 overs) 164
Fall of wickets: 1-7 (McCullum), 2-16 (Fulton), 3-25 (Taylor), 4-31 (Vincent), 5-91 (Styris), 6-134 (McMillan), 7-138 (Oram), 8-145 (Bond), 9-164 (Gillespie).
Bowling: Anderson 4-0-24-2 (w-3), Broad 4-0-35-1 (w-1), Flintoff 3-0-11-1, Mascarenhas 4-0-43-0, Collingwood 3-0-30-1, Schofield 1-0-12-0, Maddy 1-0-6-2.

ENGLAND
Maddy (run out) 50
Solanki c Vincent b Vettori 24
Pietersen b Vettori 24
C’wood c McMillan b Martin 3
Shah (run out) 21
Flintoff (run out) 1
Wright c (sub) Patel b Bond 24
M’enhas c (sub) Patel b Bond 0
Schofield (not out) 8
Broad (not out) 3
Extras (W-1) 1
Total (for 8 wkts, 20 overs) 159
Fall of wickets: 1-62 (Solanki), 2-80 (Maddy), 3-87 (Collingwood), 4-103 (Pietersen), 5-104 (Flintoff), 6-146 (Shah), 7-146 (Mascarenhas), 8-148 (Wright).
Bowling: Bond 4-0-20-2, Mark Gillespie 4-0-37-0 (w-1), Jacob Oram 2-0-26-0, Martin 4-0-37-1, Daniel Vettori 4-0-20-2, Scott Styris 2-0-19-0.