England were under huge pressure to beat local rivals Scotland at Christchurch this morning after two dismal defeats at the start of their World Cup campaign.
Moeen Ali's century inspired England to 303-8 after they were inserted by the minnows, while captain Eoin Morgan returned to some sort of form with a knock of 46.
Kyle Coetzer compiled an excellent 71 as Scotland made a reasonable start to their chase, but three wickets for Steven Finn saw them collapse to 184 all out as England secured a 119-run win at the Hagley Oval.
Read Sports Mole's over-by-over updates below to see how the action unfolded.
Stubbornness can be great at times and absolutely madness at times... #Justsaying
— Michael Vaughan (@MichaelVaughan) February 22, 2015
"I would have bowled first but the wicket looks good, so we don't mind batting first. The balance of our side and the chance for players to put a performance under the belt is the most important thing. It is a strong side we have put out and a chance for us to turn things around."
"The wicket should play well but we may get some swing early on. It is always nice to be playing the neighbours. They have not had the best start so hopefully we can put them under pressure early on."
England: Moeen Ali, Ian Bell, Gary Ballance, Joe Root, Eoin Morgan (c), James Taylor, Jos Buttler (wk), Chris Woakes, Stuart Broad, Steven Finn, James Anderson
Scotland: Kyle Coetzer, Calum MacLeod, Freddie Coleman, Matt Machan, Preston Mommsen (c), Richie Berrington, Matthew Cross (wk), Josh Davey, Majid Haq, Alasdair Evans, Iain Wardlaw
Nowt in pitch for Scotland's bowlers, big ground, England would have to botch this up monumentally to lose from here
— Derek Pringle (@derekpringle) February 22, 2015
Right. I've seen enough. English Cricket Crisis postponed til next week #CWC15
— Andrew Miller (@miller_cricket) February 22, 2015
Finally a breakthrough for Scotland! Berrington comes back into the attack and Bell drives his first ball straight to Coetzer at chest height at cover. Bell is furious with himself, shuttering as he reluctantly departs. He made fifty, but surely could have made more use of his 30 overs in the middle?
This was the moment when Mo (124* off 103) brought up his hundred! 195-1 after 33 overs. #EngvSco #LoveEngland pic.twitter.com/gPiJRAv75u
— England Cricket (@ECB_cricket) February 23, 2015
Haq is back and claims the scalp of England's century maker! A flighted 40mph ball tempts Moeen into a big slog sweep, but he gets more height than distance and Freddie Coleman takes a pretty good catch in the deep. That brings to an end a really good knock from Moeen and will hopefully give him the confidence to produce similar innings against more testing opposition should England progress in the tournament.
Two wickets in four balls for Scotland as Ballance chops on while trying to guide Evans down to third man. No feet movement or conviction behind the shot. The Yorkshire batsman does not look in any sort of touch at all and fails at number three again. There will be more calls for Alex Hales to be given a chance.
England have lost another one! Davey, who struggled during his first two spells, is given the nod for the power play and gets one to nibble away from Root. It brushes the outside edge and Cross takes a simple catch behind the stumps. That's a good seed to be fair, and England's form man is gone.
Lots of talk about Majid Haq on commentary, he finishes a great spell of 1 for 51 http://t.co/Ey5cbtwoUr 264 for 4 pic.twitter.com/1F3gcsXFGa
— ICC (@ICC) February 23, 2015
This is a great piece of work from the wicketkeeper to get rid of Taylor. The England batsman charges and Davey sends a wide yorker down which Cross, who currently plays in the Nottinghamshire Premier League for Attenborough CC, gathers superbly and quickly takes off the bails. Taylor survived an lbw review earlier in the over, but the third umpire sends him on his way this time as he could not get back to his ground.
Wardlaw deservedly finishes with a wicket as Buttler picks up Davey at long-on. He was trying to hit over extra cover again, but caught this one a bit too straight. Another taste of what he can do...
Morgan falls short of what would have been a morale-boosting half-century as he skies one off Davey, and Scotland skipper Mommsen holds on well to get rid of his counterpart.
Mommsen takes another great catch to send Woakes back. This really was a steepler, and he keeps his eye on the ball to take it falling backwards. Davey now has four and could yet finish with five!
England finish on 303-8, Moeen Ali top-scoring with 128. Scotland will chase 304 runs to win. #EngvSco #CWC15 pic.twitter.com/oYiTklfbZY
— England Cricket (@ECB_cricket) February 23, 2015
Early breakthrough for England as MacLeod comes down the track to Anderson and gets a thick edge through to Buttler when trying to carve through the offside. I am all for intent, but that was an unnecessary shot considering the start that Scotland had made, and MacLeod knows it as he trudges off.
Good over for Scotland 10 from it, 37 for 1 the score, Great day in C'Church! http://t.co/Ey5cbtwoUr #ENGvSCO #cwc15 pic.twitter.com/WILQ3AAcus
— ICC (@ICC) February 23, 2015
A wicket for Woakes first ball! A fullish delivery is there for the drive, but Coleman does not commit to hitting it over the top and Morgan takes a sharp catch at head height at short cover.
Another Morgan bowling change brings another wicket as Finn comes into the attack to dismiss Machan. It is almost a replica ball to the one which Woakes troubled the left-hander with in the last over, angling the ball across him and a weak prod feathers through to Buttler behind the stumps.
CELEBRATION! Finn embraces with Morgan after dismissing Machan with a lovely pitched-up ball #EngvSco #CWC15 pic.twitter.com/c5QHBU1QD5
— England Cricket (@ECB_cricket) February 23, 2015
Half-way stage of Scotland's chase and Scotland move to 114 for 3 after 25 overs http://t.co/Ey5cbtwoUr #ENGvSCO pic.twitter.com/JfMLVwJUaA
— ICC (@ICC) February 23, 2015
Thank me later England. The commentator's curse strikes Scotland, and Joe Root in fact, who picked up the wicket. Mommsen plays a premeditated sweep, but does not get to the pitch of the ball and a top edge flies straight to Broad at deep square-leg. That could be a big wicket in this match.
Disaster for Scotland as they lose their second set batsman in as many overs. Coetzer had played brilliantly for his 71, but unwisely looked to hit over the top so soon after seeing his partner hole out. He is trying to flick it square, but gets a leading edge and Woakes takes a simple catch at long-on.
No need for Anderson or Finn, the spinners are doing the job. This is a soft dismissal, with Berrington coming down the track and flicking a full toss toward mid-wicket, where Morgan takes another decent catch. Moeen has now chipped in with a couple of wickets to go along with his hundred.
Finn does now return to the attack and is back with a bang as Davey feathers one through to Buttler. He was neither forward or back and may have just been beaten for pace at 140kmph.
Finn has a third as Cross glances the ball off the face straight into the hands of Root at slip. He made a late decision to leave a short-pitch ball, but could not get his bat out of the way in time.
Stuart Broad in wasting review shock. #CWC15 #EngvScot
— Thomas Frost (@Frosty_Potter89) February 23, 2015
Anderson gets among the wickets as he gets one to just drift away slightly and catch the edge of Evans. Buttler dives forward to take his fourth catch of the innings behind the stumps.
England wrap up a crucial victory as Haq skies a hook off Woakes to Gary Ballance at long leg.