In blunt terms, if they don't stick to it today, then they will have nothing left to play for before flying off to Auckland on Saturday. Zimbabwe lead 1-0 in the three-match series, and their overall record against England in this type of cricket now stands at 3-1.
Other than in World Cups, it is fair to say that one-day internationals do not match up to Test matches in importance, but that is not the case this time. For the sake of England's morale, it is crucial that they win here today, and again on Friday.
There is, sadly, a strong possibility that this series will end with the home team's two-wicket victory in the first game in Bulawayo proving decisive. One of Zimbabwe's tourist attractions is white-water rafting, but with the way the weather is at the moment, you can practice your canoeing down the High Street before taking on the Zambezi river.
Yesterday was bright and sunny, but only after the usual overnight thunderstorms, which at this time of year erupt here with such violence that lightening kills more people than road accidents. Six died over the weekend, bringing the Christmas period total to 54.
The wet ground, therefore, almost guarantees a match in which the one-day audience will be deprived of its customary fix of frantic bat-throwing. The pitch will be soft, as it was in the Test match, and the outfield slow. England only just failed to defend 152 in the first one-dayer, and that may once again be a competitive score.
England make two changes to their Test XI, dropping Graham Thorpe, despite his unbeaten half-century, and Philip Tufnell, and bringing in Chris Silverwood and Ronnie Irani.
``Thorpe is a good one-day player, but Irani gives us an extra bowling option,'' said captain Michael Atherton.
Atherton, who has made 153 runs from 11 innings on tour, and 34 runs from four innings in the two Tests, gave an abrupt answer when asked whether he had considered dropping himself - ``no''. Neither would he be drawn on where he would bat. ``Wait and see,'' he said.
Precedents are rare (Mike Denness dropped himself during the 1974-75 Ashes series in Australia) but there is probably a case to be made here. The captain has passed 30 only twice in his last 17 one-day internationals, made a grim 23 from 77 balls in the first match in Bulawayo, and with the fielders up for the first 15 overs, it would seem to be natural to open with Nick Knight and Alec Stewart, and move himself down the order. The problem with that, however, is that there then appears to be no place for him at all.
Unless you happen to be a frequent visitor to the nets, Irani has been almost as invisible a figure as Andrew Caddick since being ruled out for selection for the first Test with a bad back. The initial problem was solved with a steroid injection, since when he has been working - a lot of the time with another bad back victim, Ian Botham - on changes to his bowling action.