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LONDON -- An increased wariness of Zimbabwe and a return to Lord's has Australian captain Steve Waugh confident of another top-gear performance from his side in their World Cup cricket encounter tonight.

From the outside, the Australians could be said to be at some risk of a flat showing in the Super Six game, even though victory could be enough to secure them a semi-final berth after New Zealand's washout against Zimbabwe.

The Australians have already had to pick themselves up for sudden-death games against the highly rated West Indies and India -wins which have forced their cup odds in from as much as 12-1 to 7-2 third favourites.

Now comes a match-up Australia would be expected to win nine times out of nine.

Standing at Lord's, Waugh recalled being as shocked as any cricket-mad schoolboy to hear Australia lose to the ragged Zimbabwe side of 1983 at the third World Cup, and said that was a poignant reminder to keep focus against the improved 1999 version.

``We know as a side now that these guys are not minnows any more,'' said Waugh, confident of playing despite a groin strain. ``They just work well as a team. They never give in and they're sort of always at you ...''