At full stretch: Hollioake could be
restored to the England team
Photograph: HUGH ROUTLEDGE

England's chance to lay bogey

However deceptive the record, the fact is that Zimbabwe have needed to be taken seriously, as a tightly-knit, competitive, pragmatic side, ever since they beat Australia - at Trent Bridge what is more - in their first appearance in a World Cup. They famously beat England at Albury in the 1992 tournament and since gravely embarrassing Mike Atherton's touring side on their home pitches in 1992-93 with their three one-day wins out of three, they have acquired two good players to strengthen what was already a combative team.

Murray Goodwin is a widely-travelled and experienced batsman with a wide range of strokes, hardened by two years at the Australian Cricket Academy and two seasons in the Sheffield Shield; Neil Johnson topped the Leicestershire batting averages two seasons ago and, with four for 42 and 59 against Kenya, has a man-of-the-match award already.

No wonder David Hough-ton said yesterday that he was tired of hearing television commentators saying that there are eight sides who could win this World Cup. If Pakistan's form at present suggests that they are the most likely eventually to upset South Africa, it is surely relevant that Zimbabwe beat them last winter in a Test series in Pakistan and only lost the one-day series there by the odd game in three. Houghton has been the constant influence on their cricket from the start: a sort of W. G. Grace in his own time and country. He was the wicketkeeper at Nottingham 16 years ago, the scorer of a brilliant 142 off 137 balls against New Zealand in the next tournament, was their first Test captain and is now their coach.

Houghton and Alistair Campbell, the present captain,are well aware of England's uncertainty against leg-spin bowling and they are tempted to add Adam Huckle, who has also played in South Africa, to the perky little cricketer known rather better to his opponents - Paul Strang. It was on this ground last season, however, that Strang lost some of his zest, making nothing like the impact that he had for Kent the previous year.

The look of the pitch, which still had some green tinges yesterday, might persuade Zimbabwe to stick to the five seam bowlers who did most of the work in their game against Sri Lanka on Saturday, augmented by Strang and Grant Flower, who has picked up 34 one-day international wickets with his innocuous-looking slow left-arm. Almost all the team, in fact, could be described as all-rounders, not excluding the other hardy perennial, Flower, who was saddled with the same load in the last World Cup as Alec Stewart is attempting to carry now: wicketkeeper, captain and opening batsman.

How much longer he manages it will be determined, to some extent, by what happens today. The winning side is virtually assured of a place in the Super Six, although that is not guaranteed. What is essential, surely, to England's campaign, after the miserable batting failure against South Africa, is a win today that is authoritative enough to restore their self-esteem. Stewart has played in all five of the defeats against Zimbabwe and missed the one match, in Brisbane, that England won, so he is under no illusions.

In their own conditions, however, England really should and probably will prove to be the better side. Assuming that Alan Mullally's stiff neck has recovered sufficiently - although he did not bowl in the nets yesterday - they are likely to revert to their original top seven, restoring Adam Hollioake in place of Robert Croft. The toughest decision will be whether to stick with Angus Fraser or go back to Ian Austin. Fraser took five wickets in each innings when England won the fourth Test here against South Africa last season.

Batsman keen to face Zimbabwe, land of his birth

Graeme Hick has never been an overtly confident character. Inscrutable might sometimes be a better description, but that is partly explained by the unique career he has had: the glorious achievements as a young man; the brilliant start when he left his native Zimbabwe to make a career in professional cricket in England; the chastening plunge into the icy waters of Test cricket; and the doubts that surrounded him even after 53 Tests and 94 internationals. The difference now is that he no longer seems to doubt himself.

England's top scorer in the World Cup so far and batting well, he is genuinely looking forward to the game against Zimbabwe today on the ground where he made an important century against West Indies in 1997. Playing for his adopted country (and the land of his forefathers) against the one where he was born no longer pulls him in two directions. Relaxed, with his young family happily settled just outside Worcester and in his benefit season for the county, he is relishing the prospect of a game that England desperately need to win. "Obviously playing against Zimbabwe is special for me," Hick said yesterday. "If we play as we can, we should put the 5-1 record a bit straighter. The home conditions should be in our favour. We aren't the best fielding side in the tournament but I think the smaller grounds and fast outfields help because a well-timed shot usually goes for four. If we were going to struggle in the field it might have been at the Oval but we did all right in the wide open spaces on Saturday."

Hick is likely to be needed as a bowler today if England leave out Robert Croft, their only specialist spinner. His team-mates say that he is a reluctant bowler, but he denies it. "I don't know where that's come from. I've always wanted to bowl. I had a back problem at one stage and I've had a slight problem with my shoulder just lately. I don't use it if I don't have to but its only a matter of wear and tear on a tendon." He is confident of being able to bowl a full ten-over stint if needed and that the shoulder will stand up to the demands of throwing at speed from deep positions.

In fact Hick is altogether a more confident character these days: at home in the England team, more comfortable with his celebrity and less inclined to set himself impossible goals. It is no coincidence that he expresses it much as the team's consultant sports psychologist might do.

"I'm in the right frame of mind to achieve," he said. "I've had my ups and downs but I don't dwell on the past. If I failed I used to feel low but I've got used to people criticising me. Last year I was really enjoying my cricket and I still am."

Enjoyment and run-scoring, naturally, go hand in hand but, like chicken and egg, he is not sure which comes first. "Technically I've learnt not to listen to too much rubbish. My game's always been quite simple."

He makes it look simple, certainly, when he imposes himself with those clean, unhurried drives through extra cover and the powerful pulls through mid-wicket off anything even remotely short. The Zimbabwe bowlers, his old school-mate Eddo Brandes and all, know only too well what Hick might do to them in his present mood.

Both articles May 25, 1999