Saturday 6 July 2019 09:30, UK
"If you play positive, attacking cricket, then fortune does favour the brave."
So said Sky Sports' Nasser Hussain, prompted by a Jason Roy top-edge for four as England raced through to 67 without loss in the opening 10-over powerplay.
England's brave, fearless cricket seemingly is back, perfectly timed to coincide with their progress through to the World Cup semi-finals, but also vital in securing it.
It has been far from flawless cricket, however, with England wobbling at stages in both of their back-to-back wins over India and New Zealand that has booked their ticket to Birmingham next Thursday.
The stunning start in Durham, again provided by Roy and Jonny Bairstow - scorer of a second-straight century - was again evaporated in a clumsy middle-over period where England's 350-plus aspirations would again have to be adjusted. And if England have had one flaw during their remarkable rise in the last four years, it has been that ability to adjust.
Morgan described England's eight-wicket hammering by New Zealand at the last World Cup - a game that took all of 45.4 overs - as "as close to rock-bottom as I've been".
The England captain, determined not to be humiliated in such a way again, instigated a shift in approach to a bold, new, aggressive style of cricket much in the mould of that New Zealand side which needed just 12.2 overs to chase down their paltry 123 all out in Christchurch.
It was the touring Black Caps who first bore the brunt of a 'new' England, suffering a 3-2 defeat in a spectacular 2015 series, in which England smashed a score of 400 for the very first time in ODI cricket, in the very first game.
It was to be the first of 15 series wins across 19 bilateral series as England romped their way to No 1 in the world. But, tournament play is a different beast, and with their shock defeat to Sri Lanka at Headingley a fortnight ago, it looked like England would falter under the pressure.
A further loss to Australia made progress even trickier, but in beating India and New Zealand, England have shown that ability to adapt that has generally eluded them as they've bludgeoned the opposition into submission in the bilateral stuff.
At Emirates Riverside, the same pitch that looked a belter under the baking early-morning sunshine in the north east, suddenly slowed up considerably, resulting in a cluster of England wickets and a drastic slowing of the run rate.
Joe Root got the faintest of edges behind off Trent Boult to start the 31st over, and by the time Chris Woakes became the latest in a procession of batsmen to plink it to a fielder in the inner circle, England had added just 65 runs to their score in 15 overs, for the loss of five wickets - just when they were supposed to be stepping on the accelerator.
But, the repetitive mode of dismissal more than hinted to the way England needed to bowl on this surface. Swinging from the hip and a score well in excess of 300 was no longer deemed essential, and so England carefully manoeuvred their way up to a more modest 305.
Would they have liked more? Sure. But, most importantly, it was enough - courtesy of some fine bowling from their four-pronged pace attack of Archer, Wood, Woakes and Plunkett, some Jos Buttler brilliance behind the stumps and a couple of crucial run outs, none more so than Wood's deft fingernail flick onto the stumps to dismiss the hugely unfortunate Kane Williamson.
That wicket of Williamson highlighted another ingredient crucial to success - especially over the course of a 10-team, 48-game World Cup - luck. And England were big beneficiaries in Durham.
Their task was first made easier with the injury to New Zealand quick - and their leading wicket-taker for the tournament - Lockie Ferguson, and then by getting first use of the batting strip after winning the toss.
Roy (60) should, and would on another day, have been bowled first ball by Mitchell Santner, with the spinner's arm ball somehow, inconceivably missing the stumps after it too evaded the inside edge of Roy's attempted cut.
Morgan benefited from a bit of a brain fade to his second ball. Bounced by Matt Henry first up, the skipper left a length delivery on his stumps that he was fortunate to see fly harmlessly over them, before going on to score 42 handy runs.
Then there was Williamson's run-out. The New Zealand skipper and his 100-plus average for the tournament was the main obstacle to England's progress.
Even Buttler's incredible catch down the legside to dismiss Martin Guptill had an element of good fortune to it. Sometimes those just stick, sometimes they don't.
Fortune, it seems, does indeed favour the brave. And this brave England team now move on to Edgbaston.
Live coverage of the Cricket World Cup continues on Sky Sports Cricket World Cup with Afghanistan against West Indies, from 10am on Thursday.
