England's journey to the eastern edge of the city, a suburb known as Highlands, from the hotel was held up by rush-hour traffic, and after the ceremonies had finished and photographs had been taken, the bright red Zimbabwean blazers contrasting with English blue, the match started half an hour late.

A tropical thunderstorm guillotined the cricket as Michael Vaughan was leading the England team purposefully towards the Academy's 50-overs total of 196 for nine.

The pitch at Country Club, the future Academy base, had been rolled hard and steamed in the morning sunshine, and conditions were very good at a picturesque venue fringed on two sides by a variety of eucalyptus trees and a golf course.

The Academy's highest scorer was Nathan Batson, of Worcestershire. He and Mark Wagh, the Warwickshire batsman, were the county-sponsored overseas students helping to fund an ambitious project in a country with a weak currency.

Dean Cosker and Graeme Swann were the pick of the England bowling, using a slow pitch cunningly as Vaughan turned to 37 overs of spin. The new-ball attack of Steve Harmison and Paul Hutchison looked rusty after so little flat-out net practice in Zimbabwe's wettest rainy season for almost 20 years.

Batson's 43 off 58 balls was an excellent innings, spoilt by his involvement in three wickets to fall in four balls. Two partners were run out in three balls - Vikram Solanki and Andrew Flintoff making no mistake - and Batson then holed out to Solanki's off-spin.

Vaughan's decision to send callow opposition in to bat reflected his desire for England to win matches ahead of merely gaining crease practice for his batsmen. In this case, though, success was highly likely either way and only Darren Maddy, Mal Loye, not playing yesterday, and Vaughan have enjoyed much batting time.

The Academy's director is Gwynne Jones, a former Epsom College teacher and Buckinghamshire batsman. The start-up capital budget of around £50,000, including a new pavilion, is an enormous sum here, and more than half of it still has to be raised. A good World Cup in England next summer seems bound to help Zimbabwean cricket.

England's main concern yesterday remains the form of their seam attack. Melvyn Betts, resting a groin strain, was excluded for the first two games and may not be risked for the four-day game starting in Harare tomorrow.