No Hick-cups for England win

By the time Zimbabwe had lost both their openers with just 16 on the board, the match already looked to have swung firmly in England’s favour. Murray Goodwin and Stuart Carlisle shared a partnership of 67 for the third wicket.

But Goodwin was caught in the deep off Hick and Carlisle followed soon afterwards, brilliantly run out by a direct hit from Nick Knight in the covers, and Zimbabwe were 91 for four.

Hick then ran through the Zimbabwe middle order, having both Flower Brothers — first Andy and then Grant — stumped by wicketkeeper Chris Read.

Dirk Viljoen was victim numberfour, skying the ball to Mark Ealham in the covers, and then Hick had Brian Strang brilliantly caught by a diving Alan Mullally in the gully for four. Only a few minutes earlier, Mullally had struck to dismiss Heath Streak, who got a leading edge to offer Nasser Hussain an easy catch.

The final flourish was supplied by Craig White, the Yorkshire all-rounder claiming the wicket of Zimbabwe number 11 Henry Olonga, who was caught in the covers by Knight.

Earlier, England had lost their first wicket in the second over, captain Hussain edging left-armer Strang to Alistair Campbell at first slip.

Although Campbell claimed the catch, Hussain stood his ground in the belief the ball had not carried. Television replays appeared to confirm that the catch had indeed been taken on the bounce.

But Hussain’s departure was the cue for Hick to begin his assault on the Zimbabwe bowlers and he and Knight put together a stand of 81 runs off 82 balls before the fielding restrictions were lifted after 15 overs.

Knightwas out for 26, dancing down the wicket to fast bowler Olonga and hitting the ball straight to Strang at mid-on. Darren Maddy took a while to get his eye in but was soon matching Hick run for run, improvising with the reverse sweep to work away the slow bowling of Grant Flower.

But just as the partnership was beginning to take on worrying proportions for Zimbabwe, England brought it to an end themselves, Hick run out after good work by Goodwin at mid-off when called through for a tight single by Maddy.

Vikram Solanki was the next to go, though, top-edging an attempted pull off Gary Brent when on 14 to present Carlisle with a simple catch at mid-wicket.

Shortly after posting his maiden One-day 50, Maddy was undone by his penchant for the reverse sweep. His third attempt at the stroke, this time off Viljoen, went straight to Brent at square-leg.

Two balls later, Viljoen claimed his second victim as Mark Ealham missed a straight one and was bowled.

Chris Read gave the left-arm spinner a simple returncatch nine runs later and England were suddenly in some trouble at 207 for seven. But some big hitting at the death by White and Andy Caddick, who lofted Olonga straight back over his head for six, carried England to a total which eventually proved more than adequate.

Scoreboad

England: N Hussain c Campbell b Strang 1, N Knight c Strang b Olonga 26, G Hick run out (Goodwin) 80, D Maddy c Brent b Viljoen 53, V Solanki c Carlisle b Brent 14, C White not out 27, M Ealham b Viljoen 0, C Read c&b Viljoen 2, A Caddick not out 21; Extras (lb4, nb3, w17) 24.
Total (for seven wickets in 50 overs) 248.
Fall of wickets: 1-4, 2-85, 3-149, 4-171, 5-198, 6-198, 7-207.

Bowling: H Streak 8-0-44-0, B Strang 10-0-34-1, H Olonga 6-0-44-1, N Johnson 2-0-16-0, G Flower 10-0-37-0, Gary Brent 7-0-42-1, Dirk Viljoen 6-0-20-3, A Campbell 1-0-7-0.

Zimbabe: N Johnson b Gough 7, A Campbell c White b Gough 2, S Carlisle run out (Knight) 41, M Goodwin c Mullally b Hick 28, A Flower stRead b Hick 21, G Flower st Read b Hick 5, D Viljoen c Ealham b Hick 4, H Streak c Hussain b Mullally 7, B Strang c Mullally b Hick 13, G Brent not out 13, H Olonga c Knight b White 11; Extras (lb7 nb1 w3) 11
Total (all out, 46.5 overs) 163
Fall of wickets: 1-5 2-16 3-83 4-91 5-104 6-112 7-124 8-126 9-146

Bowling: Caddick 8-4-7-0, Gough 6-2-10-2, Mullally 10-1-43-1, White 5.5-0-35-1, Ealham 7-0-28-0, Hick 10-2-33-5.