The middle-order did their best to serve up a Chester-le-Street a nail-biter, but in keeping with their World Cup group stage as a whole, England wobbled without falling over.

Having given the tournament a shot in the arm with back-to-back defeats against Sri Lanka and Australia, consecutive Jonny Bairstow centuries provided the second wind which has put the hosts into their first World Cup semi-final since 1992.

Their bosses at Lord's may not be big Riverside fans, but England are. They have only lost one one-day international here since 2006, and with three Durham's academy graduates in their team, they cruised to a 119-run victory in what at the halfway stage seemed a delicately-poised match.

Overs 30-50 of England's innings were the aberration as Bairstow secured an Edgbaston semi-final a week on Thursday by giving the Three Lions a headstart New Zealand were never able to overhaul.

The Kiwis are all but through to the Old Trafford semi two days earlier, barring a huge Pakistan win on Friday.

England being England, it was not that straight-forward.

At 194-1 after 30 overs they were teed up for the sort of monster score this tournament is yet to witness. A collapse of 6-78 kept the match interesting but, just as after the defeats to Sri Lanka and Australia, England gathered their composure and reasserted their class, bowling New Zealand out for 186.

The best thing you could say about the run-chase was it was nowhere near as bad as the stewards who took an eternity eventually removing a streaker.

Tim Southee begging on his own for Bairstow's wicket in England's 30 over summed up the hosts' bullying start.

Southee took 7-33 when he last faced England at a World Cup but while the Three Lions have improved beyond recognition, the four years have not been kind to him, which is why he owed his first tournament appearance to Lockie Ferguson's hamstring injury. His first two-over spell cost 19.

New Zealand had opened with slow left-armer Mitchell Santner. His first delivery beat Jason Roy and wicketkeeper Tom Latham but it would be another 18-and-a-half overs before England's next major scare.

Bairstow was in hot form during Sunday's century against India, and a clip off his legs to get off the mark then a lovely cover drive on the up showed he had not cooled off.

Roy got carried away, chipping a slower ball to short cover on the back of two ferocious pulls at Jimmy Neehsam, but not before adding 123 for the first wicket.

Even Joe Root caught the mood, a cheeky ramp and straight six out of keeping with the sneaky way he usually gets off to fast starts. When he feathered a hook it just gave Jos Buttler, pushed up the order, 19.5 overs to wreak havoc. Nailing his third ball through the covers suggested he might.

Bairstow had by then clubbed a 94-ball century but when he played on and Buttler chipped to mid-off, England had lost 3-20 in 19 deliveries.

With New Zealand belatedly pitching the ball up and their slower balls gripping, the hosts got bogged down and their chips were up. The way Chris Woakes picked out mid-off and Eoin Morgan extra cover was reminiscent of Roy and Buttler's downfalls.

Only able to make 11 from 27 balls, frustrated Durham all-rounder Ben Stokes came down the wicket and was caught long-on.

That was in the 42 over, when England usually have their foot down, and captain Morgan's philosophy is about never easing up. He ended 56 boundary-free balls by fearlessly clearing mid-off Kane Williamson as if no one had got out trying that. The next over it was his undoing, Santner recovering brilliantly after wrong-footing himself.

Adil Rashid and Liam Plunkett took England beyond 300 with a 20-ball, 29-run stand which ought to have set the game up brilliantly.

New Zealand lost two quick wickets, Woakes given an lbw in the first over which would have been overturned if reviewed and Buttler taking an outstanding legside catch. But whereas England rely on brilliant opening partnerships, the Kiwis are used to doing without them.

The key moment was when Mark Wood stuck out a hand in his follow-through and tipped Ross Taylor's drive onto the stumps with Williamson stranded. It was the first time in the tournament the captain was out for less than 40.

When former Durham batsman Taylor attempted a risky second and was run out by Rashid's throw from the boundary, the game felt up, after 16.4 overs.

Only Latham, who like Stokes, Wood and Plunkett played for Durham's academy, offered any resistance before being strangled down legside for 57.

New Zealand were dismissed in 45 overs as Ashingtonian Wood claimed 3-34 and all the other specialist bowlers one wicket each.