Close England (280 for 9, Collingwood 77) beat Zimbabwe (210 in 44.3 overs, G Flower 96) by 70 runs
Scorecard England's seventh successive one-day win in Zimbabwe made it 4-0 in the series and confirmed the good impression Hussain's babes have made so far on tour. With Zimbabwe 169 for 3 in the 35th over in pursuit of 281, anything was possible, but Grant Flower was stumped for 96 and the innings collapsed in a flurry of anti-climax and apathy. If Stuart Carlisle had caught Paul Collingwood when he was on 1, the game might have taken a different course, but Collingwood went on to make a polished 77 that won him the match award, and England were out of sight.

England's total -- their highest in Africa -- revolved around a wham-bam opening stand of 101 inside 15 overs by Marcus Trescothick and Nick Knight and another salvage operation from Collingwood and the muscular Andy Flintoff, who added 97 after four wickets from the occasional offspinner Doug Marillier had threatened to derail the England express.

Trescothick was standing in for the injured Hussain, but was clearly unburdened by the cares of office. After a nervy start, he and Knight launched a merciless assault on Zimbabwe's less-than-accurate seamers and blasted 68 in seven hectic overs. But Marillier turned things round: Trescothick top-edged a slog to square leg for 52 (101 for 1), Knight was caught behind for 49 (113 for 2), Owais Shah caught behind sweeping second ball for 0 (113 for 3), and Mark Ramprakash bowled on the drive for 17 (144 for 4).

But Collingwood and Flintoff rebuilt the innings with a string of pulsating boundaries, none more vicious than Collingwood's flat pulled six off Sean Ervine, none more perfect than Flintoff's lofted six -- left elbow high -- over long-on off Henry Olonga.

Flintoff cracked Grant Flower straight to long-off for 46 (241 for 5), and grimaced, and when Ben Hollioake lazily left his crease and was bowled by Flower for 5 (248 for 5) it was down to Collingwood to take England as close as possible to 300. A late wobble left them short on 280 for 9. But it still looked enough.

Zimbabwe started well and reached 86 for 1 in the 18th over for the loss of Alistair Campbell, caught at short midwicket for 6 off Ryan Sidebottom (32 for 1). But Hollioake sneaked one through Stuart Carlisle's gaping defences to bowl him for 28, and struck the vital blow in his next over when Andy Flower, his blood possibly still pumping after Sunday's verbal scuffles, top-edged an attempted leg-side slog and was held by the man he now knows quite well, James Foster. With Flower out for just 6, Zimbabwe were 94 for 3.

Andy's brother Grant now held the key. He had been played back into form by some loose early stuff from Sidebottom, and now found an aggressive -- and fortunate -- partner in Craig Wishart. But the ball after failing to connect with a reverse-sweep, Flower, on 96, charged Paul Grayson and was stumped by Foster for the second time in the series.

Zimbabwe lost heart and fell away. Wishart chipped Hollioake to midwicket in the next over for 30 (171 for 5), and Marillier made it three wickets in 10 balls when he gave Grayson a return catch off the leading edge for 0 (172 for 6). The game was up. Dion Ebrahim gave Grayson his third wicket when he found Flintoff's bucket-like hands at deep midwicket for 11 (200 for 7), and Sean Ervine was given out caught behind off Flintoff -- he hit the ground, not the ball -- for 19 (201 for 8). Gary Brent was run out for 5 (208 for 9) and Flintoff finished things off with a big, blond whoop when he bowled Travis Friend for 3.

For the moment at least, everything is going right for England.

Lawrence Booth is assistant editor of Wisden.com.

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