Dave Houghton, the Zimbabwe coach and former captain, has called for two neutral umpires to stand in Test matches, a concept with which the England A management, Graham Gooch and Mike Gatting, have expressed their agreement.

Houghton's comment to The Daily Telegraph that his side was ``raped by the umpiring'' may lead to a fine from match referee, Raman Subba Row, but was unrepentant: ``I don't care about a fine - it's worth it to let the world know what really happened in the second Test,'' he said.

Sympathy for the Zimbabweans was considerable among the England A team, most of whom watched the last day of the Test on TV from their hotel, but it was reinforced by their own experiences in the three-day match against the Colts. One England bowler asked the umpire why an lbw appeal had been turned down. ``I'll think about it and tell you at the end of the over,'' came back the reply.

Gooch says he would not be surprised if the practice of two neutral umpires is introduced eventually. But he and Gatting wondered if umpires would get enough experience to reach Test match standard if they could not officiate at home.

Houghton, however, rejects this argument. ``If an umpire is good at first-class level, then he should be at Test level, wherever the match takes place.''

Gatting feels that if umpires become exclusively neutral, they would have to be re-educated. ``You'd have to get them altogether to talk about the game, as interpretation of the laws differs far too much.''