Of all the test sides, surely only England have the capacity to win a series and yet generate such a feeling of utter gloom. The draw they extracted yesterday from the rain-ruined second test ensured that they clung on to a lead gained at Lord's, an event accompanied then by such euphoria that street parties and a thanksgiving service in Westminster Abbey would not have been out of the question.

In this match though, they have been reminded in the strongest terms possible that they are a side of such violent mood swings that they could do with counselling as much as coaching. England held on to win the series with all the style, panache and lightness of touch of Fatty Arbuckle tapdancing.

For two days, first as Murray Goodwin scored his memorable century and then yesterday as the Zimbabwe bowlers worked their way with embarrassing ease through the England top order, they have been outplayed, and until the overs began to run out it was they who were floundering.

If this match had been billed in some quarters as England's chance to generate a feel-good factor to take into the forthcoming West Indies series then it is Zimbabwe instead, pride restored, who will carry the good vibrations into the triangular series while the resurgent West Indies, who will have been watching with interest, will scarcely be quaking. England are capable of good things but they remain vulnerable.

It could have been the dullest of last days. Instead, Zimbabwe's declaration, albeit 75 minutes before play (they would have bowled at England on the fourth evening had bad light not intervened) appeared to catch England on the hop.

Mark Ramprakash, Nasser Hussain and Nick Knight, opening in place of Mike Atherton whose absence from the field on Sunday meant he was unable to bat until the fifth wicket fell, all departed to the new ball, the first two of them to the teenage debutant Mluleke Nkala, bringing his match haul to a creditable five, and by lunch Alec Stewart had followed.

At the start of the penultimate over before tea, with the score 113 for seven and a lead of 202, there was still an outside chance - if Zimbabwe could finish the innings off quickly - that there would be time to have a dart at pulling off a remarkable win.

Instead Atherton, playing the only responsible innings of the day, struck three successive boundaries off Brian Murphy's leg spin to rubber-stamp, just about, England's escape.

Atherton was superbly caught at backward point for 34 shortly after tea and England were finally all out for 147, their lowest total against Zimbabwe, leaving the visitors with a maximum of 13 overs to face.

In the five overs used before the draw was agreed there was time for Grant Flower to be caught at second slip in Andy Caddick's first over.

It was Ramprakash who brought things to a conclusion with an over of passable impressions of the great fast bowlers. He might profitably try doing Viv Richards with the bat.

At a time when England have been looking to consolidate, there have been more questions raised than answered. None of the top-order batsmen distinguished themselves yesterday, with Ramprakash edging the first of Andy Flower's five catches, Hussain lbw to something from Nkala that might have been going over the top of the stumps and Knight, short of footwork, comprehensively yorked by Streak. Later, Stewart was caught behind attempting to withdraw his bat from a short ball and Andy Flintoff and Graeme Hick also fell to the wicketkeeper.