With the bat, Jacks once again arrived with England facing strife. Both openers perished within the opening eight balls; Jos Buttler’s expression, after edging Lockie Ferguson behind to fall for a duck, was of the hangdog variety once again. When Curran was caught by a full-length dive from Phillips, England were marooned on 100 for five after 14.3 overs, needing another 60 from 33 balls.

This World Cup, Jacks has tended to feast on pace. But with the R Premadasa Stadium offering sharp turn, Jacks recognised that he could not wait for the seamers to return. Against his fourth delivery, he reverse-swept Ish Sodhi for four over backward point.

With England needing 43 from the last three overs, he recognised the need to target Phillips’s off-spin. Jacks ended the over with three emphatic blows – a heave over midwicket for six, a straight drive for four and a pull through square leg.

After another scruffy performance, England’s moment of victory felt apt. Jacks missed an attempted pull off Matt Henry, but the ball deflected off his helmet grill and scurried away to the boundary.

Perfection can win tournaments. Yet normally, less glamorous virtues suffice: continually summoning the resourcefulness to scrap through tricky situations. Jacks’ brisk undefeated 32 was the latest exhibit.

In the final throes, Jacks was supported by Ahmed. Playing his first game in a global event, slotting in for Jamie Overton because of the conditions, Ahmed needed the sum total of one ball to get his first wicket: Rachin Ravindra pulled a googly, dragged down short, to midwicket. While Ahmed erred too short on several occasions, he only conceded 10 when unexpectedly summoned to bowl the final over of New Zealand’s innings.