New Zealand captain Kane Williamson hopes an upcoming break provides his side with a chance to revive their faltering World Cup campaign.

The Black Caps suffered their third straight defeat of the tournament in a thumping 119-run loss to England at Chester-le-Street on Wednesday.

Had they won, it would have been New Zealand and not England who were assured of a place in the semi-finals.

But they were rarely in the hunt and New Zealand, who won five of their first six games in a sequence that included a washout with India, had to accept another defeat following losses to Pakistan and Australia -- the team that beat them in the 2015 final.

The consolation for Williamson's men is they are all but certain of a place in the semi-finals given their huge net run-rate advantage over Pakistan.

And Williamson, whose team won't play again until next week if they make the last four, believes group form will count for little now that the tournament is heading into the knockout phase.

"If we are fortunate to be in a semi-final, then we do have a little bit of a break," he said. 

"If you are in a knockout stage where it's a semi-final opportunity, anything can happen. 

"We know that we haven't put out our best performance yet and we know when we do it gives us the best chance of beating anybody, without a doubt.

"It is important for us to perhaps have a couple of days away. We sort of have a bit of a break now."

New Zealand's chase against England saw them lose their top four inside 17 overs with just 69 runs on the scoreboard.

From then on it appeared the Black Caps were involved in damage limitation, even though they were still bowled out for 186 with five overs to spare.

But Williamson was adamant his side had not been trying to manipulate the run-rate.

"We were trying to win the game, but we didn't do a very good job of it," he said.

"We just needed a couple of big partnerships, certainly from the top order and it wasn't there."

New Zealand were hampered before the start when leading fast bowler Lockie Ferguson, who has taken 17 wickets in seven games this tournament, was ruled out because of tightness in his hamstring.

But the 28-year-old should be fit in time for Tuesday's semi-final at Old Trafford.

"He's been outstanding throughout this whole tournament and a real point of difference for us," said Williamson.

"Did we miss him? Yes. But we'd miss him more if we didn't have him, hopefully, in another game's time.

"He should be fine. It's a fairly minor injury, sort of a light hamstring thing, and he should be okay."

Feature image courtesy: AFP Photo/ Daniel Leal-Olivas

Jonny Bairstow’s second successive hundred laid the foundation for England's 119-run thrashing of New Zealand that saw the tournament hosts secure their place in the semi-finals of the World Cup on Wednesday.

It is the first time England have reached this stage since 1992, when they made the last of their three losing appearances in the final.

England, yet to win the World Cup, were set for a huge score at 194-1 off 30 overs before managing just 111 in the last 20 against a New Zealand attack missing injured fast bowler Lockie Ferguson.

But, with Bairstow making 106, a total of 305-8 proved more than enough at Chester-le-Street.

New Zealand could only manage 186 in reply as they suffered a third successive defeat of the tournament following losses to Pakistan and champions Australia �the team that beat them in the 2015 final.

One consolation for the Black Caps is that they should still join Australia, India and England in the last four as it will take a colossal change in net run-rate for Pakistan to overtake them even if Sarfaraz Ahmed's side beat Bangladesh at Lord's on Friday.

"I am really pleased," said man-of-the-match Bairstow. "We knew these two games were must-win to give ourselves the best opportunity of reaching the semi-final.

"We knew the performances in the last couple of games weren't up to scratch. To play the way we have and hopefully keep it going into the semis is pleasing."

England are now guaranteed to finish third in the standings and so will play in the second semi-final at Edgbaston on July 11.

As things stand, they are in line to face India, currently second, but it is still possible for Virat Kohli's men to leapfrog Australia at the top of the standings.

If England do play India it will be a repeat of Sunday's match at the Birmingham ground when, following back-to-back defeats by Sri Lanka and Australia, they inflicted a first reverse upon Kohli's side.

The opening semi-final between the first and fourth-placed sides is scheduled for Old Trafford next Tuesday.

New Zealand, who would have reached the semi-finals had they won this match, saw their chase start badly when Henry Nicholls was lbw for a golden duck to Chris Woakes and decided against a review that would have reprieved him.

Martin Guptill, the leading run-scorer at the 2015 World Cup, then fell cheaply but worse followed for New Zealand when senior batsmen Kane Williamson and Ross Taylor were dismissed by contrasting run outs.

Black Caps skipper Williamson, who came into this match with a tournament average of 113.50, fell for 27 in unlucky fashion when fast bowler Mark Wood got his fingertips to a Taylor drive and deflected the ball onto the non-striker's stumps with Williamson out of his ground.

Taylor was far more responsible for his own exit when, deciding to go for a risky second run on 28, he failed to beat Adil Rashid's throw from fine leg to Buttler.

After a brief stoppage when a streaker ran onto the field, the Black Caps lost Tom Latham, caught behind for 57, to leave them all but beaten at 164-7.

Earlier, Bairstow and Jason Roy (60) got England off to a flyer with an opening partnership of 123 -- their third century stand in a row.

Bairstow reached his ninth one-day international hundred off 95 balls, including 14 fours and a six.

Feature image courtesy: AFP Photo/ Paul Ellis

England's World Cup hopes were in the balance on Wednesday after New Zealand fought back following opener Jonny Bairstow's second successive century of the tournament.

The hosts, in a match where victory for either side would see them into the semi-finals, were set for a huge total at 194-1 off 30 overs at Chester-le-Street.

But in the last 20 overs they managed just 111 runs and lost seven wickets against a Black Caps attack missing star fast bowler Lockie Ferguson, out with a hamstring injury, to finish on 305-8.

England captain Eoin Morgan revived the innings with 42 and an eighth-wicket partnership of 29 between Liam Plunkett (15 not out) and Adil Rashid (16) ensured the hosts went past 300.

New Zealand were left with a stiff, but not impossible, chase, given the most any team have made batting second to win a World Cup match is Ireland's 329-7 against England at Bangalore in 2011.

"I am really pleased (with the hundred)," said Bairstow. "Obviously I have had a couple of low scores in the competition as well. I felt like I needed to contribute and needed runs. I am disappointed not to go on and get a big one but pleased I got a hundred.

"You want to fire against the best in the world and consistently do it. We know what quality bowling they have got. We will be looking to implement things we have seen in that innings in our bowling innings."

If England lose to New Zealand, they will be knocked out should Pakistan beat Bangladesh at Lord's on Friday.

But if New Zealand, like England looking to win the World Cup for the first time, are defeated, they should still go through to the last four on net run-rate.

Bairstow fell soon after reaching three figures when he played on to recalled paceman Matt Henry for 106.

England's decision to promote Jos Buttler saw the usually free-scoring batsman chip Trent Boult to New Zealand captain Kane Williamson at mid-off for 11.

Ben Stokes came into this match on the back of three successive fifties but he never got going on his Durham home ground, with the all-rounder also out for 11 when he drove left-arm spinner Mitchell Santner to long-on.

Left-hander Morgan, who won the toss, made a valuable contribution before he was well caught at mid-off by a leaping Santner off Henry to leave England 272-7 in the 47th over.

Earlier, Bairstow and fellow opener Jason Roy (60) got England off to a flyer with a partnership of 123 �their third century stand in a row.

Bairstow drove the experienced Tim Southee �recalled for his first match of the tournament �for the only six of the innings to go to 90.

He then completed his ninth one-day international hundred with two boundaries off Southee as he reached three figures in 95 balls, including 14 fours and a six.

But the next over saw Bairstow's Yorkshire team-mate Joe Root caught behind hooking at Boult for 24.

Southee, who took a stunning 7-33 when New Zealand thrashed England in Wellington en route to reaching the 2015 World Cup final, took 1-70 with Henry (2-54) and Boult (2-56) the pick of the attack.

Feature image courtesy: AFP / Paul ELLIS

England and New Zealand head into their final World Cup group match on Wednesday, each knowing that a win would see them into the semi-finals.

Even a defeat would not spell the end of either team's chances of emerging as one of the top four from the 10-team round-robin phase.

Were England to lose in Chester-le-Street, Pakistan could leapfrog them into the top four with victory over Bangladesh.

Given that they play each other in their final pool match, only one of Bangladesh �who also still have to face India �or Pakistan can draw level with New Zealand in the event the Black Caps lose on Wednesday.

And, with both Asian teams well behind on net run-rate, it would take a big New Zealand loss allied to a commanding Pakistan victory or two Bangladesh wins by big margins, to deny the 2015 losing finalists a place in the last four.

But right now, England and New Zealand's World Cup destiny is in their own hands.

England travel to the northeast buoyed by a 31-run win over an India side that were previously unbeaten.

Sunday's success against India, the team that recently replaced England at the top of the one-day international rankings, came after back-to-back defeats by Sri Lanka and reigning champions Australia had led many pundits to question their tournament nerve and nous.

But the pleasing aspect for England, other than the result, was that the defeat of India was built on many of the factors that have been key to their ODI revival since a first-round exit at the 2015 World Cup.

Jonny Bairstow (111) and Jason Roy, who made 66 following his return from a hamstring injury, put on 160 for the first wicket before the in-form Ben Stokes hit 79, his third successive fifty, to boost the total to 337-7.

England, bidding to win their first World Cup, then kept things tight in the field, with Chris Woakes impressive and recalled paceman Liam Plunkett (3-55) once again taking wickets through the middle overs.

"Winning a game like this, under the pressure we were under, can only stand us in good stead, potentially for the New Zealand game and hopefully after that," said Woakes.

"You don’t actually play much knockout cricket, so to put ourselves in the heat of the battle -- obviously we'd rather have qualified by now -- could potentially help us."

By contrast, New Zealand head into the match following successive losses to Pakistan and Australia that have put a taken the gloss off a promising campaign.

An attack led by left-arm quick Trent Boult, who took a hat-trick hero against Australia, and featuring the express pace of Lockie Ferguson is a testing proposition for any side.

New Zealand could now recall another paceman in Matt Henry at the expense of spinner Ish Sodhi, given the Riverside is not renowned for turning pitches.

But while several England batsmen have made hundreds at the World Cup, New Zealand appear dangerously over-reliant on captain Kane Williamson and fellow senior batsman Ross Taylor for runs.

Colin Munro was dropped for the Australia game, while fellow opener Martin Guptill has managed just 85 runs from six innings since his 73 not out against Sri Lanka.

Wicketkeeper-batsman Tom Latham is averaging just 8.2 at this tournament.

"We're still in charge of our destination and where we're heading, and that's always a nice thing to have," said Craig McMillan, New Zealand's batting coach.

"Obviously (Guptill and Latham) are short on runs but we're excited by the fact that we haven't quite clicked as a batting group yet."

Feature image courtesy: AFP Photo/ Daniel Leal-Olivas

Eoin Morgan has revealed England's humiliating defeat by New Zealand in their last World Cup clash left him "as close to rock-bottom as I've been".

But the England captain said it had also been behind his side's white-ball revival that now sees them on the verge of securing a place in the semi-finals of this year's World Cup.

The winners of Wednesday's match between England and New Zealand at Chester-le-Street are guaranteed a place in the last four and even the losers could still make it through to the knockout stages.

But a World Cup semi-final was the last thing on England's horizon when they were skittled out for just 123 by New Zealand in a group match at Wellington four years ago.

The Black Caps then overhauled that woeful total in a mere 12.2 overs, winning with a colossal 226 balls to spare en route to an eventual defeat by fellow co-hosts Australia in the final.

But the way New Zealand played in that 2015 tournament made a lasting impression on Morgan, then as now England's skipper in 50-over cricket. 

"It was as close to rock-bottom as I've been," Morgan told reporters at Chester-le-Street on Tuesday.

"Certainly as a captain and as a player, being beaten off the park like that was humiliating.

"New Zealand proved a point that you can actually be really good humans and grow the game and play cricket in your own way and win at the same time, which is incredibly eye-opening for a lot of countries around the world.

"I thought that rubbed off on everybody in the World Cup."

Feature image courtesy: AFP / Paul Ellis

New Zealand's Ross Taylor believes the Black Caps can return to winning ways against England after losing momentum at a key stage of their World Cup campaign.

Wednesday's match in Chester-le-Street is effectively a quarter-final, with the winners guaranteed a place in the last four.

Even a defeat would be unlikely to spell the end of New Zealand's involvement, as there would need to be a big swing in net run-rate to deny the 2015 losing finalists a place in the semi-finals.

The Black Caps, like tournament hosts England bidding to win their first World Cup, were unbeaten during their first six group games in England and Wales.

But they head into their final round-robin fixture following back-to-back defeats by Pakistan and Australia.

Taylor said New Zealand had not played to their full potential so far.

"We definitely haven't got the momentum that we would have liked in the last couple of games, but tomorrow is a different story against different opposition," he said in a pre-match press conference.

New Zealand's attack, led by Trent Boult and Lockie Ferguson, have been a force to be reckoned with throughout the tournament.

But the batting has been a different story, with the exception of the outstanding captain Kane Williamson, who is averaging more than a hundred.

Opener Martin Guptill, the leading run-scorer at the 2015 World Cup, has struggled and Taylor has not managed to convert either of his two half-centuries into a big score.

"I'd love as a team to take a little bit of pressure off Kane and score some runs and not let him do everything," said the 35-year-old Taylor, who added that Guptill's confidence was low.

Taylor knows Chester-le-Street well from his time as an overseas player with northeast county Durham.

It was also the venue where England sealed a dramatic 3-2 win over New Zealand in their first white-ball series after an embarrassing first-round exit at the 50-over global showpiece in 2015.

"Every time we played England in the last little while it's been a great series. I think it came down to the wire in that series back home and the last time we were here was a must-win.

"I think it was two-all, and Jonny Bairstow (83 not out) came in fresh and batted well. Obviously, another big game coming up tomorrow and hopefully we're up for it."

Feature image courtesy: AFP / Ian Kington