Close England (265 for 6 in 47.3 overs; M Ramprakash 47) beat Zimbabwe (261 for 8; A Flower 142*, H Streak 56, M Hoggard 5 for 49) by 4 wickets England came through their toughest challenge of the series yet, successfully chasing 262 to take a series-winning 3-0 lead after a stunning 142 not out from Andy Flower had threatened to turn the match on its head. Runs were made all down the order - the top score was Mark Ramprakash's 47 - while two of England's young guns, Andy Flintoff and Paul Collingwood, tilted the balance with a fifth-wicket stand of 72.

An England victory had seemed as inevitable as a Tony Blair round-the-world trip when Zimbabwe slumped to 127 for 6 in the 28th over, with Matthew Hoggard taking three wickets in another incisive new-ball spell. But Andy Flower was still there, and he finally found a partner worthy of the name in captain Heath Streak, who cudgelled and cover-drove his way to 56 in a world-record seventh-wicket partnership of 130.

By that time Flower, reprieved on 99 when umpire Nyazika missed a nick off Paul Collingwood, was already well past his hundred and playing strokes of such improvisation that England's fielders may as well not have been there. His century took him 97 balls. Crisis? Pull the other one.

Hoggard finished with 5 for 49, but England now needed to chase around 100 more than had at one stage seemed likely. Marcus Trescothick nicked Henry Olonga to the keeper for 14 (28 for 1), but Nick Knight and Ramprakash responded with a classy stand of 67 for the second wicket. Both men stroked straight sixes, and it needed a drinks break to disrupt their flow. Knight skied the very next ball to mid-off for 41 to make it 95 for 2, and when Graham Thorpe picked out Craig Wishart at deep midwicket for 8, it was 108 for 3.

Worse was to follow. Ramprakash, who had shown a liking for the lofted cover-drive, was run out for 47 after a mix-up with Collingwood (126 for 4), and suddenly the Zims were on top.

But Flintoff took the game by the scruff, straight-driving Dirk Viljoen for four, lifting Grant Flower over midwicket and launching Doug Marillier straight for a six that was still rising as it sailed over the ropes. Collingwood grew in confidence but nicked Gary Brent to Andy Flower for 36 (198 for 5), and when Flintoff - to his dismay - dragged a Grant Flower long-hop to deep midwicket for a 46 off47 balls, it was 214 for 6 and anyone's game.

That, though, was as good as it got for Zimbabwe. Nasser Hussain, batting at No. 7 after picking up a calf injury in the field, was joined by Jeremy Snape, who chipped and chivvied as you'd expect the fulcrum of Gloucestershire's one-day team to do. Hussain leant back to flay Grant Flower through the covers, and Snape went down on one knee to mow Viljoen in the same direction. With the run rate never an issue, England chipped away at the target expertly, and Hussain finished things with a straight six off Dion Ebrahim.

England were helped by the absence of Streak, who pulled a hamstring when he batted, but this was a supreme team effort.

Lawrence Booth is assistant editor of Wisden.com

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