England sweep clear of Zimbabwe jinx

England all but booked their place in the last six of the World Cup after overwhelming their one-day jinx team Zimbabwe in the group A match at Trent Bridge yesterday. Chasing Zimbabwe's total of 167 for eight, England swept past their target with seven wickets and 11.3 overs to spare following an excellent third-wicket partnership of 123 between Nasser Hussain and Graham Thorpe.

Hussain's unbeaten 57 from 93 balls was his second half-century of the tournament, following his 88 not out against Kenya. He struck seven fours.

Left-hander Thorpe also hit seven boundaries in 62 from 80 balls, his first major score of the tournament.

The pair were rarely troubled by the Zimbabwean bowlers as they accelerated the scoring rate with a string of dazzling boundaries all around the ground. But England's third victory from four matches - against a side they had beaten just once in six previous attempts - was set up by their increasingly impressive front-line bowlers, Darren Gough and man-ofthe-match Allan Mullally.

Left-armer Mullally, who had to pass a fitness test on a neck injury shortly before the match, finished with figures of two for 16 off 10 overs - the tighest analysis in the World Cup so far. "Mullally bowled magnificently," said Zimbabawe captain Alastair Campbell. Zimbabwe would now have to win their last game against South Africa to progress to the second stage of the World Cup for the first time but Campbell admitted: "We have never beaten them and they are playing the best cricket here at the moment."

England coach David Lloyd added: "It was significant that we won the toss and we did have the best conditions. The partnership between Hussain and Thorpe was just what we needed. They were dominant."

Of the other English bowlers, Gough finished with figures of two for 24 off 10 overs while all-rounder Mark Ealham also picked up two wickets with his tidy medium pace. Gough and Mullally were often unplayable as they found sharp lift off the wicket and considerable swing in the air.

Wickets fell steadily as Zimbabwe struggled to lift the run rate above three an over.

Pinch-hitter Paul Strang, coming in at number three, failed to impress once again. He faced 17 balls without scoring before Mullally had him caught by Graeme Hick at slip.

Three overs earlier, Gough had removed the dangerous Neil Johnson with a superb delivery that swung sharply back into the former Natal left-hander and knocked back his middle and off stumps.

The Flower brothers, Grant and Andy, put on 32 before Andy was brilliantly run out by Hussain, diving full-length and throwing in mid air after pouncing from backward point.

Zimbabwe, who only joined the Test-playing nations seven years ago, suffered a blow before the start when veteran bowler Eddo Brandes, who routed England's batting at the 1992 World Cup, was ruled out with a back complaint.

The emphatic margin of victory also provided a welcome boost to England's run rate. Only a improbable set of results will deny the host nation's passage into the second-round Super Six.