Live coverage of the fourth ODI between the Black Caps and England in Dunedin.
The visitors take a 2-1 lead in the penultimate game and can claim the series win with a victory today, and sloppy fielding, a struggle for line-and-length, and a sense of resignation left New Zealand staring at a gargantuan chase.
At the end of the 37th over England had belted 256 runs for the loss of one wicket.
The record ground score of 360 for five, set by New Zealand against Sri Lanka in January 2015, was within sight.
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How could this juggernaut be stopped?
A child in the crowd on the fine leg boundary bellowed: "C'mon New Zealand, you gotta believe".
Until that point, that voice had offered annoying armchair-fan cliches, but you could not argue with the sentiment of the final message.
Suddenly Jonny Bairstow exited to Colin Munro for 138 off 106 balls, his third ODI century. That ended a partnership of 190 with Joe Root, the highest for England's second wicket against New Zealand in the format, and third-equal highest overall.
Cue the tumble - six wickets for 21 runs in 38 balls - as England's much-vaunted hitters suffered paralysis, particularly against Ish Sodhi's leg spin as he took career-best ODI figures of four for 53.
England "stumbled" to 335 for nine, leaving New Zealand to chase the second highest score in seven ODIs at the venue.
Sodhi took the initial wicket of Jason Roy for 42 from 41 balls with a wicket-maiden to start his spell in the 11th over. However, Root picked up the baton. He farmed 102 from 101 balls as part of his 11th ODI century, anchoring the innings until the 48th over.
Jos Buttler (caught-and-bowled for a two-ball duck), Ben Stokes (slog-sweeping with his nude bat to Henry Nicholls at deep square leg for one) and Moeen Ali (misjudging a googly on three and skying it to Tim Southee running in from long off) were no match for Sodhi's guile.
Accomplices Colin Munro and Trent Boult scythed into England's order with the removal of Eoin Morgan and Chris Woakes respectively.
The turnaround was extraordinary, given England had been barrelling towards 400.
The visitors seized the initiative on a crisp autumn morning at University Oval.
Local fans could be forgiven if they begged for mercy that the sight of white balls might be over this summer on day 85 of the 100-day test drought.
England, courtesy of Roy, Bairstow and Root offered a masterclass in bisecting the field and bruising stroke-making as they carved through the hosts' token early resistance.
Poor fielding helped, as did bowlers struggling to find their line and length.
Santner dropped Bairstow on 74 at extra cover, leaving Boult to grasp at his forehead.
There were a couple of other tough chances, but overthrows and harbour bridges provided most of the damage. Double teapots and head-shaking reigned.
Bairstow found the perfect cadence. He swung Santner away behind square leg to bring up his third ODI century. That influence could not be matched by his teammates, at least until Tom Curran (22 off 10 balls) hammered four boundaries as part of 18 off Southee in the final over.
New Zealand have not lost any of their eight tests and six ODIs since the University Oval came into international operation 10 years ago. This will be a tough standard to maintain.
Papua New Guinea opening batsman Tony Ura scored 151 runs from 142 balls
World Cup Qualifier Group A: Harare Sports Club, Harare Ireland 237-6 (49.1 overs): Porterfield 111, Joyce 53; Vala 2-39 Papua New Guinea 235 (50 overs): Ura 151; McBrine 3-38, Rankin 2-41 Ireland won by four wickets Scorecard
Ireland continued their winning start in the World Cup Qualifier series with a four-wicket victory against Group A rivals Papua New Guinea in Zimbabwe.
PNG opener Tony Ura scored a superb 151 but was given little support as the Barramundis posted a total of 235 runs.
Captain William Porterfield's 111 was the pillar of his side's reply as Ireland passed their target with just five balls to spare.
Ireland will next face Group A's top seeds West Indies on 10 March.
After winning the toss, Porterfield asked PNG to bat first at the Harare Sports Club and his decision was quickly rewarded as opener Vani Morea was run out in the second over and Andy McBrine took three early wickets.
Ura continued to score as easily as the Irish bowlers were able to dismiss his batting partners and the opener struck 10 fours and six sixes before he was eventually dismissed by Kevin O'Brien in the final over.
Andy McBrine took three early wickets for Ireland
Porterfield led the Irish response with his own century knock and received support from opening partner Paul Stirling, who scored 27, and a half century by Ed Joyce.
The departure of Porterfield, followed quickly by Kevin O'Brien, left Ireland on 216-6 in the 45th over and still requiring 20 runs to win but Gary Wilson and George Dockrell combined to steer their side to victory.
Ireland beat the Netherlands in their opening group game. The top three in each of the two groups progress to a Super Six competition, from which two will go through to the 2019 World Cup in England and Wales.
The opinions expressed here are the views of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of Cricket Australia.
Leg-spinner Ish Sodhi has bowled New Zealand back into the fourth one-day international against England, restricting them to 9-335 despite a Jonny Bairstow century in Dunedin.
While Bairstow provided the firepower at University Oval, Joe Root (102) proved the mainstay for England in compiling his 11th ODI century as wickets fell willy-nilly at the other end.
England had looked well in control at 1-267 early in the 38th over on Wednesday but a threatened 400-plus tally was stymied by Sodhi's crucial 4-58.
Jason Roy and Bairstow kickstarted the England innings with an up-tempo 77-run stand in 62 balls before Sodhi grabbed his first wicket in removing Roy for 42 early in the 11th over.
Bairstow then joined Root in a superb 190-run stand for the second wicket, which finally ended four balls into the 38th over.
The 28-year-old right-hander caught the top edge of an offcutter from Colin Munro and skied a well-taken catch to Tim Southee at short third man.
His 138 was just three runs off his best-ever ODI tally.
It came off 106 balls and included 14 fours and seven sixes. However, it heralded an epic England collapse, with the next seven wickets falling for 38 runs.
Root brought up his century with the second-last ball of the 47th over but could add only another run to his total before he gloved a slow bouncer from Tim Southee to wicketkeeper Tom Latham.
Tailender Tom Curran plundered 18 off Southee's last over but England's efforts have left the Black Caps with a glimmer of hope.
New Zealand: Martin Guptill, Colin Munro, Kane Williamson (capt), Ross Taylor, Tom Latham, Henry Nicholls, Colin de Grandhomme, Mitchell Santner, Tim Southee, Ish Sodhi, Trent Boult.
England: Jason Roy, Jonny Bairstow, Joe Root, Eoin Morgan (capt), Ben Stokes, Jos Buttler, Moeen Ali, Chris Woakes, Adil Rashid, Tom Curran, Mark Wood.
