James Anderson made England’s first breakthrough in the fourth over as Stephan Swanepoel pushed a full-length delivery on his leg stump straight to Michael Vaughan at mid-wicket. It heralded a double Burger partnership for Namibia as Louis joined JB, carving his third ball to the rope at third man. JB meanwhile twice took boundaries when Anderson strayed to leg.

Caddick, out of sorts to begin with, gradually settled, but the gathering clouds posed an additional threat to England in the early overs. He was unfortunate to have JB missed by Hoggard at square leg before being carted through cover after the let-off. But the replacement of Anderson with Flintoff undid Louis, who returned a high, looping catch to the bowler as he essayed an ugly, not to say agricultural heave.

JB Burger continued his hit-and-miss effort, reaping a fortuitous boundary over Stewart’s head before taking three and four to long-on. England were effectively a fielder short while Ian Blackwell, barely able to move after suffering a back spasm, briefly remained on the field before being ushered off by physiotherapist Dean Conway.

JB Burger reached an excellent 50 with another resounding square cut for his seventh boundary, and treated Craig White with the utmost severity in the Yorkshireman’s first over, pummelling four more through extra cover. Another straight drive went through Flintoff, White was hoisted over long-on and there was a jitter or two in the England camp at the halfway mark.

Like Trescothick before him, Stewart was eventually consumed by over-confidence. Shortly after reaching his fifty with a disdainful, flat six over wide mid-on off a woefully short ball from Deon Kotze, he laced the same bowler through cover but immediately holed out to Bjorn Kotze as he tried to hoist him over square leg.

Andrew Flintoff and Paul Collingwood sensibly took their time before Flintoff drove Sarel Burger with characteristic aplomb for a crushing straight six. Deon Kotze finished a good spell with one for 35, and Collingwood greeted the hapless Snyman on his return with a snick to the rope at third man

Another towering Flintoff six off Van Vuuren hoisted England’s 200 before Collingwood, after a steady 38, drove Snyman low to Daniel Keulder in the covers. Flintoff followed in the same over, again taken in the covers as an attempted push to leg took the leading edge.

Craig White was within a cat’s whisker of being run out attempting a second run, and then almost caught as England sailed close to the wind in the closing stages. Another full toss appeared to have accounted for Blackwell, but umpire Simon Taufel had called a no ball with only three fielders (rather than the minimum four) inside the circle.

Blackwell had made 16 by the time he fell to a legitimate delivery from Snyman, caught behind trying to force through the covers. With little time to make an impression Ronnie Irani swung lustily to the boards at mid-wicket, before JB Burger missed a steepler off White at long-off.

White was eventually taken at long-on in the final over for a robust 35 off 29 balls, and Irani, another long-on boundary to the good, hit a high catch to cover. Rudi Van Vuuren ended England’s innings with his fifth wicket, castling Andrew Caddick with a solitary boundary to his name.

After a shaky start – he was almost caught behind off a long hop from Rudi van Vuuren in the second over - Trescothick tucked into Gerrie Snyman with relish, taking four and six through mid-off and square leg, while Knight took his first boundary with a pull through mid-wicket.

Knight was dismissed trying to repeat the shot in the next over, pulling a ball of indifferent length to Louis Burger, who held a fine catch tumbling to his right.

Vaughan had barely tuned up, with consecutive boundaries through extra cover (a Vaughan special) and deep backward square off Snyman, before he departed as tamely as Knight, pulling Van Vuuren to the same fielder at mid-wicket.

Van Vuuren’s replacement by Bjorn Kotze met with Trescothick’s immediate approval, as the Somerset left-hander took two leg-side boundaries from his first over, and at the end of the 15th England were 59 for two. At the other end Louis Berger was more miserly, although Trescothick found the rope at extra cover in the 17th.

Stand-in skipper Stewart’s first boundary was emphatic, clubbed wide of mid-on, and the second no less so, straight in the same over, and Kotze had gone for 24 off three, and duly made way for his captain, Deon, who was more economical.

England’s hundred came up off 133 balls, and Trescothick’s 50 (63 balls) followed, and Stewart launched himself into an airborne off drive to maintain the momentum. But the introduction of JB Burger proved too tempting a meal for Trescothick, who after successive boundaries down the ground looped a catch to backward square leg attempting another.

Hussain's place in the England side goes to his Essex team mate Ronnie Irani.

The weather is a primary concern for England, with rain forecast later in the day. They desperately need all four points against a side that has so far failed to make any impression on the tournament.

England team: ME Trescothick, NV Knight, MP Vaughan, *+AJ Stewart, PD Collingwood, A Flintoff, ID Blackwell, C White, RC Irani, AR Caddick, JM Anderson.

Namibia team: SJ Swanepoel, AJ Burger, LJ Burger, D Keulder, BG Murgatroyd, *DB Kotze, SF Burger, G Snyman, +M van Schoor, BL Kotze, RJ van Vuuren.