The main architects of England's dramatic seven-run victory were the batsmen, who put together the third-highest total in the history of limited-overs matches at the SCG. The job was completed by the unlikely presence of Ashley Giles, who Stewart turned to at the dreaded death. Giles's figures might not make for pretty reading but his temperament stood out and on an occasion so colourful, and in a situation so tense as this, he deserves the grandest applause.
A full house of 42,000 watched a cracking game from first to last. Stewart won the toss and chose to bat under the hot sun. The pitch was a beauty, true enough for the stroke players but with enough bounce to encourage the impressive Australian new-ball bowlers.
Immediately, Nick Knight was undone by a combination of that very bounce and his own hint of indecision over whether to play or to leave alone. In compensation, Graeme Hick emerged from the pavilion instead of, as happened in that hopelessly frantic Melbourne performance the other night, a wretched ``pinch-hitter''.
Hick acknowledged his promotion by settling quickly and going on to play all comers with equal ease. His one-day history against Australia mixes the sublime - two fine innings of 85 and over with the sorry - seven single-figure efforts.
You could say that about his international career in general, but thankfully, yesterday was one of those occasions when he lifts English hearts.
Hick won the man of the match award and the feature of his splendid partnership with Nasser Hussain - they put on 188 in 35 overs - was the running between the wickets. For once the groans of the crowd were directed at messy Australian fielding. Credit should go to England for creating the stress and particularly for the way in which neither Hick nor Hussain allowed Shane Warne in particular, and the support bowlers as well, to find their rhythm.
This was Hick's highest one-day international score and, surprisingly, the first time Hussain has passed 50. The new Essex captain has been given a late opportunity to claim a place in England's World Cup party - he is batting well at the moment and is not the sort to waste it. Rampant cameos from Adam Hollioake and Neil Fairbrother provided the coup de grace to the England innings as 81 were taken from the final 10 overs. Revealingly, Australia's crackerjack bowlers, Glenn McGrath, Damien Fleming and Warne, conceded 177 between them.
Steve Waugh was back to captain Australia but got his bowlers in a muddle, letting England loose by using Darren Lehmann's gentle left-arm spin at a stage when Hick and Hussain were under pressure to increase the tempo. He also misfielded and lost his wicket first ball to a cunning slower one from Hollioake two balls after his brother had fallen to the same bowler.
Until then, the Australian run chase had gone pretty much to plan. Mark Waugh is having a purple patch and many of his strokes took the breath away. Lehmann's forthright 76, made in 87 balls, covered adequately for the failure of Adam Gilchrist and Ricky Ponting to continue their good start to the series. Both were out-thought by Darren Gough with the new ball and fell to excellent catches.
With the required rate creeping above seven an over, Michael Bevan and Greg Blewett hustled between the wickets but Bevan could not find his best timing and though Blewett thrashed away successfully for a time, and survived those two stumping chances, he was eventually bowled having a mighty mow at Giles's accurate yorker.
Twenty were then needed from the last two overs but Mark Ealham backed up a good fielding performance by keeping his head and conceding just five from the 49th over before Giles, in his first major match in Australia, secured the victory.
It would be remiss not to finish without mention of two other English bowlers. The intensely competitive elder Hollioake has recovered his confidence and guile and Stewart must be congratulated for pinning so much faith upon him. The incorrigible Gough bowled overs 45 and 47 and only seven runs were scored from them. Gough relishes this sort of challenge and more often than not comes out the winner. He is the star of the tour and without him England's dazzling start to the Carlton and United series may not have happened.
Credit again to the captain for deciding to bowl Gough when he did - it won England the match.
Post script: the captain says his thumb is only bruised and he will be fine for Tuesday's match against Sri Lanka in Melbourne.