England are one win away from reaching the Women's World Cup semi-finals following a nine-wicket thumping of Pakistan in Christchurch.
Victory over Bangladesh this weekend in their final group fixture will secure Heather Knight's team a spot in the last four and complete some turnaround after the defending champions lost their first three games.
Defeats to Australia, West Indies and South Africa left England's hopes of reaching the knockout phase hanging by a thread but they have since rallied to see off India, New Zealand and Pakistan, with their latest win moving them up to fourth in the standings, above India on net run-rate.
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Pakistan were rolled for 105 in 41.3 overs at Hagley Oval as seamer Katherine Brunt (3-17) made her first major impact of the tournament and spinner Sophie Ecclestone (3-18) also took three wickets.
Opener Danni Wyatt then punished Pakistan for dropping her on four with a dashing 76 not out from 68 balls as England reached their target with 184 balls to spare - Wyatt sharing an unbroken second-wicket stand of 87 from 89 deliveries with skipper Knight (24no off 36).
Thursday's earlier washout between South Africa and West Indies means the Proteas have joined Australia in securing a semi-final place, with the final two spots now really between England, West Indies and India, although New Zealand do have a slim outside chance.
Brunt back to her best as England skittle Pakistan
England knew before facing Pakistan that wins in their final two games should be enough and they made the perfect start in Christchurch when Brunt struck from the first ball of the match.
Brunt had picked up just one wicket across her first five games but made an immediate breakthrough on a green Hagley Oval pitch when Nahida Khan (0) edged an out-swinger to England skipper Knight at first slip.
Pakistan - who have now lost all 11 of their ODIs against England - then suffered two run outs to slip to 33-3 and the innings never really recovered, with Brunt leaving them 55-5 when she pinned Nida Dar (5) lbw and then bowled Sidra Amin with a ball that seamed in.
Left-arm spinner Ecclestone, now the competition's leading wicket-taker with 11 in six games, bagged three of the final four wickets to fall.
Wyatt fires fifty as England ease home in run chase
There were nervy moments for England in the run chase, with Dar grounding a tough chance at the gully when Wyatt was on single figures and Tammy Beaumont pinned lbw for two by the impressive Baig in the fifth over with the score on 20.
But Wyatt went on to strike 11 fours, including the match-winning boundary off Fatima Sana Khan, reaching her third ODI fifty and first in World Cup cricket from 51 deliveries.
Player of the Match Wyatt comfortably passed her previous best score of the tournament, the 33 she had hit against West Indies, and with her and Brunt now back in form, England look a far more formidable outfit.
They will be overwhelming favourites to beat Bangladesh and clinch a spot in the last four, with their hopes of successfully defending the title they won in dramatic style at Lord's in the summer of 2017 still very much alive.
Wyatt: I played a sensible innings
Player of the Match Danni Wyatt: "I just capitalised on any width and when you are in you have to go hard and go big.
"I think it was a sensible innings by myself. I just wanted to get over the line and score myself some runs, spend some time in the middle for the business end of the tournament.
"Credit to the bowlers, they bowled really well. Katherine Brunt came back and bowled her heart out. We saw the pitch was green, a bit like we get in England, so it was a good toss to win. The ball did a bit."
Knight: Our most complete performance yet
England captain Heather Knight: "It was nice not to have a nervy one for a change! We went in to win but the secondary goal was to up our run-rate a little, so I am really pleased with how we went. I think that was our most complete performance.
"Yes, the pitch was green but the bowlers have to put the ball in the right areas. I was so pleased for Katherine who has had a bit of a tough tournament so far. To see her back to her best was brilliant. You know a player like that is always going to rise to the top.
"With the start we had in this tournament, it was about reminding the girls it's not how you start but how you finish and hopefully we are starting to build a bit of momentum."
What's next?
England's final group game is against Bangladesh on Saturday (9.30pm, Sky Sports World Cup and YouTube) with a victory enough to secure progression to the semi-final.
Bangladesh are in action from 9.30pm on Thursday as they face unbeaten table-toppers Australia, who have won each of their six matches so far.