With their special types of skill and character, confidence and flair - aided not a little by mixing their type of skill with very sympathetic pitches - the New Zealanders took comfort as the first six cup wins were achieved.
But yesterday's was special. Beforehand the New Zealanders might have thought they were a good side. After yesterday they knew it.
They are a very good side becuase they react so well to atmosphere, to challenge, and to yesterday's special chance of righting may of those wrongs which came during the recent English tour.
As the full-house crowd of 12,500 watched the two teams stand while Donald McIntyre had the hairs on the back of the neck a-tingle with his God Save the Queen, and Christopher Doig made the spirit soar with his God Defend New Zealand this was obviously going to be a special day of sport.
At least for the New Zealanders England are, compared with the brave and bold men of January and February, now a weary and wounded bunch. They presented 11 reasonably fit men, but left out Phillip Tuffnell, the left-arm spinner whom New Zealanders still feared.
The New Zealanders had turned away from a fresh new pitch, and instead opted for the much-used one on which West Indies had played India early last week.
It was dry and dusty, it rather chopped any of the fast bowlers off at the knees, but lent aid to the New Zealand spin and medium-slow bowlers.
It must have given Tuffnell considerable assistance, too, but England left him out and once he found out that good news Martin Crowe, the New Zealand captain, took the reasonable risk of bowling first. Had Tuffnell played Crowe would have batted.
And so the fascinating battle was joined, New Zealand not exactly firing the 16-inch guns when Dipak Patel and Chris Harris opened the bowling.
Ian Botham, the block-busting opener, had earlier commented whether he or Mark Greatbatch would win a beer for hitting the biggest six. In his fourth over Patel, in very superior form, simply nipped in through Botham's lazy prod, and Botham departed, six-less and later beer-less.
That was great relief for the New Zealanders, even while Alec Stewart, a crisp and elegant hitter of the ball, and the menacing Graeme Hick counter-attacked with a 70-run stand.
And, when Robin Smith joined Hick the score began to soar along, an England total of 260 or 270 possible when 240 seemed a more competitive score.
But Crowe's men kept on working away in their quiet and confident manner. Willie Watson managed some tidy overs after a loose start, Patel worked away superbly, and then at the critical moment Gavin Larsen came in with his miserly medium-pacers.
The scoring rate slowed, Andrew Jones came on with some tidy off-spin, and suddenly the the England innings began to disintegrate. Stewart hit out and was caught, Hick got a touch to the spare time wicketkeeper Mark Greatbatch who took the catch as coolly as would have Ian Smith with a migraine.
Allan Lamb, a month away from the crease, could extract could extract only 12 singles from 29 balls. Still England had 16 overs left when they were at 162 for three wickets - 250 or more still in sight.
In the event, they lost five wickets for 38 over the last 10 overs. They were so confused by the way the bowlers gnawed away at their shins that from the start of the 39th over to the start of the 49th over they could only score in singles, and precious few of those.
Instead, they found ways of hitting catches to the outfield, and each one was unerringly gathered in.
So the New Zealanders, who had feared a chase after 250, found they only needed 201. There was sorrow at the quick loss of John Wright, so determined to do well in his comeback match, but he left the back door open and Phillip De Freitas, a fine bowler even on one and a half good legs, hit the leg stump.
But soon Mark Greatbatch was blasting away and Jones working the rich vein of runs he reopened last week.
Greatbatch hit his way to 35 before he was caught on the boundary with the score at 64.
Crowe and Jones then clinically dismembered the England bowling attack.
Jones went after a stand of 108, the win virtually secure, Jones with 13 fours in his 113-ball 78.
Crowe was still there at the end 73 not out from 81 balls, only six fours, but his quality shining with golden lustre amid the onrushing gloom.
Crowe now has 362 cup runs for twice out. But after yesterday he has a more important possession - the knowledge that his team can beat any of the other eight side.
That they can win the World Cup.
