Bresnan powers England to Twenty20 semi-finals as New Zealand head home

England needed to reach only 120 in reply to the Kiwis' 149-6 in yesterday's final Group E match at Beasejour Stadium, to remain top of the table on run rate.

But on the back of an important stand of 52 between Eoin Morgan and Luke Wright, they did the job properly to ensure they can welcome the absent Kevin Pietersen back from his fatherly duties in London – where his baby son was born yesterday – with the lure of a chance to reach his first final in a world event.

New Zealand, meanwhile, paid for missing their opportunity and were edged out for a place in the last four on run rate by Pakistan – who, like South Africa, also managed just one Super Eight victory to England's three.

From the moment Craig Kieswetter got England's run chase off to a flying start with a straight six and a four in Nathan McCullum's first over, they were almost always on course to book a semi-final back at this ground on Thursday – against the runners-up in Group F.

Kieswetter was gone by the end of the third over, slicing a catch to point off Kyle Mills.

Pietersen's understudy Ravi Bopara failed to beat the off-side ring and was caught at cover when he tried to muscle Scott Styris's lack of pace for a boundary, and Michael Lumb went lbw sweeping at Daniel Vettori on the same score in the next over.

Styris's skills were ideally suited to this stop-start surface, and Paul Collingwood soon fell victim too when he chipped a catch to midwicket – the third of three wickets in three overs for six runs.

That wobble to 66-4 made the New Zealanders temporarily favourites, only for Morgan to once again demonstrate his big-game temperament.

Wright eventually hooked a slower Shane Bond bouncer to be caught at deep backward-square. But Morgan stayed put almost until the end, leaving man-of-the-match Tim Bresnan to finish the job after he was athletically caught by Vettori off a mis-pull at Bond, as England got home with five balls to spare.

After winning the toss, the Kiwis had Brendon McCullum, Styris and Ross Taylor's useful contributions to thank principally for a total which proved inadequate.

McCullum lost his opening partner Jesse Ryder to a mow across the line, bowled by Yorkshireman Bresnan, but still gave his team some run-a-ball momentum in the first half of the innings.

He was to go to the second of two catches in the leg-side deep off Graeme Swann, Stuart Broad having made a notable take and cleverly stayed just inside the rope at deep backward-square to see off Aaron Redmond.

From 65-3 in the 11th over, Taylor and Styris added another 62 in seven until the latter got little distance and too much height on an attempted hit over the top to be well held by Luke Wright.

That was the first of two wickets in an over by Broad, Gareth Hopkins bowled for just a single – and although Taylor hit his second six off Ryan Sidebottom, New Zealand were heading home.

England v New Zealand

St Lucia: England beat New Zealand by 3 wkts

New Zealand

B B McCullum c Lumb b Swann 33

J D Ryder b Bresnan 9

A J Redmond c Broad b Swann 16

L R P Taylor c Bresnan b Sidebottom 44

S B Styris c L J Wright b Broad 31

G J Hopkins b Broad 1

N L McCullum not out 3

D L Vettori not out 4

Extras lb5 w2 nb1 8

Total 6 wkts (20 overs) 149

Fall: 1-30 2-59 3-65 4-127 5-133 6-141

Did Not Bat: I G Butler, K D Mills, S E Bond.

Bowling: Bresnan 4 0 20 1; Sidebottom 4 0 35 1; Broad 4 0 33 2; Swann 4 0 31 2; Yardy 4 0 25 0.

England

C Kieswetter c N L McCullum b Mills 15

M J Lumb lbw b Vettori 32

R S Bopara c Taylor b Styris 9

P D Collingwood c B B McCullum b Styris 3

E J G Morgan c Vettori b Bond 40

L J Wright c Mills b Bond 24

T T Bresnan not out 23

M H Yardy c Butler b N L McCullum 0

G P Swann not out 1

Extras lb5 w1 6

Total 7 wkts (19.1 overs) 153

Fall: 1-24 2-60 3-60 4-66 5-118 6-142 7-146

Did Not Bat: S C J Broad, R J Sidebottom.

Bowling: N L McCullum 4 0 37 1; Bond 4 0 29 2; Mills 3.1 0 32 1; Vettori 4 0 24 1; Styris 3 0 16 2; Butler 1 0 10 0.