Cricket World Cup 2015: England seek crumbs of comfort from history as they head for Cake Tin

There is plenty of precedent for teams losing two matches on their way to winning the World Cup. If this fact alone will not sustain England against New Zealand on Friday, it is still handy to know in case the worst fears are realised.

It may also be useful to reflect that the opposition, joint hosts and second favourites for the tournament, are quite as apprehensive about England as England are about them. This was more than simply banal courtesy, it was a statement and a reminder of what other nations see in England.

“They’re a dangerous side,” said Mike Hesson, the New Zealand coach. “They’ve got a lot of quality players. Some are in form, some are not so much so. Their seam attack have got good pace and bounce and are good nicks, and they bat pretty deep so they’re a dangerous outfit. In a World Cup anything is possible, and they’ve got some very good players.”

In the last few days since the horrifying dismemberment at the hands of Australia, it has been easy, even necessary, to write off England’s chances. Their regular wretched exhibitions in the World Cup since 1992 and the conviction that their one-day cricket still seems two paces behind the leading teams have precluded any optimism.

England would have preferred not to play New Zealand directly after Australia. True, it will put their two most difficult matches behind them, but it could so easily lead to a lot of catching up to do when no mistake can be afforded.

Hesson’s words should encourage England. While Eoin Morgan, the captain, and his players have been saying much the same thing about their own talent, it has been conveyed as a hollow self-assessment. What else would they be expected to say? Hearing it from Hesson should buttress them a little.

“Playing together as a unit is huge for us,” Morgan said. “It’s an area where we’ve struggled in recent times. We’ve had guys who have put in good individual performances but guys haven’t built on that around them and that has been disappointing. It’s a focus of ours. Everyone is aware of it and we’re trying to improve on it.”

He did not concede that England had made operating as a unit difficult for themselves by fielding an XI that had never before played together in the opening fixture against Australia, which led to defeat by 111 runs. But the players cannot have known their roles precisely because they had not been in them before.

“The squad is pretty strong together and pretty well built,” said Morgan. “The more we play together, the more ideal it will be. It was certainly the side to go with and the better side to go with.”

There are mounting suggestions outside the camp that England are simply not good enough, partly because of their strategy, partly because of their players, partly because of what happened in Melbourne on Saturday. The players are clinging on.

“I’m not sure what stage it gets to, it’s certainly not got there yet,” said Morgan. “The fact that we have individual performances to build on, if we were sitting here going, ‘We’ve been blown away every game in which we play’ – which we haven’t done since we’ve arrived here – would be extremely disappointing and there would be doubt there, but there certainly isn’t.”

If England lose on Friday they can still qualify for the quarter-finals comfortably by winning their next four – putatively easier – matches. In 1983, India lost twice before creating a major upset by defeating West Indies in the final – one of their defeats had been to West Indies.

In 1999, Australia lost twice before going on to crush Pakistan in the final, and in between times Pakistan were beaten on three occasions in Australasia in 1992 before Imran Khan’s cornered tigers came out snarling.

It should not matter that England have won only one of the eight one-day internationals between the countries in Wellington, nor that New Zealand have won the last four World Cup encounters. But somehow, of course, it does matter. There are bogeys to be burst, or whatever it is that sportsmen want to do to bogeys.

Morgan, in common with all recent captains, declined to name his side since England have been training at Basin Reserve and the match is taking place at Westpac Stadium, aka the “Cake Tin”. It is difficult to think they will change so soon into proceedings.

In 23 ODIs at the ground, there have been only three totals of 300 or above. That does not much lessen concern about England’s lack of a genuine sixth bowler. It is a shortcoming that could cost them dear, as soon as Friday at a ground that will be full for the first time for a cricket match.

After hearing the din made by 87,000 at the MCG, dealing with around half that at the Cake Tin should be a cakewalk for England.