Jos Buttler's quickfire unbeaten 61 helped take England to a total of 310 all out in their Champions Trophy match against New Zealand in Cardiff on Tuesday.
England, sent in to bat in overcast conditions by New Zealand captain Kane Williamson, were in danger of failing to get to 300, despite fifties from Joe Root (64) and Alex Hales (56).
New Zealand, who saw pacemen Corey Anderson (three for 55) and Adam Milne (three for 79) share six wickets, fought back well with the ball.
Buttler gave England's innings a late surge with a typically inventive 48-ball knock featuring two sixes and two fours.
He received good support from Liam Plunkett (15) in an eighth-wicket stand of 49 in 31 balls.
Buttler, however, could only watch as Tim Southee ended the innings with three balls to spare by dismissing tailenders Mark Wood and Jake Ball with successive deliveries.
Victory in this match would see England into the semi-finals, with New Zealand looking to kickstart their campaign in a 50-over tournament featuring the world's top eight one-day international sides after a rain-induced no result in their opening clash with Australia.
The Blackcaps would have been concerned by the rain falling during the mid-innings break which delayed the start of their reply.
After just 30 minutes' play, the match was halted at 11:00am local time (1000 GMT) as a national minute's silence in memory of the victims of Saturday's terror attack in London was observed.
Jason Roy hit Milne for four to go to 13.
But that was as good as it got for the struggling Surrey opener, who was bowled round his legs by Milne.
His exit meant Roy had managed just 47 runs in his last seven innings at this level.
Root, fresh from his career-best 133 not out in England's opening eight-wicket win over Bangladesh, twice drove left-arm spinner Mitchell Santner for six.
Hales slapped Milne high over long-off but, for the second match in a row, it was 'six and out' for the Nottinghamshire opener after he was bowled next ball by a good-length Milne delivery.
England's 118 for two was soon transformed into 134 for three when captain Eoin Morgan was caught behind chasing a wide ball from left-armer Anderson.
Root, deprived of the strike during a stand of 54 with Stokes, saw his innings end when he played on trying to carve Anderson.
But Stokes was still going well. However, on 48, he uppercut Trent Boult straight to Milne at third man.
Buttler extravagantly 'ramped' Boult for six and flat-batted another off Milne.
Plunkett joined in by pulling Milne for a six that brought up England's 300 but the steady fall of wickets kept the Blackcaps in the game.