Rarely does an international team take to the field with no hope of victory and no discernible plan for victory. Zimbabwe, however, so badly beaten in the first two one-dayers, were content with an attempt at damagelimitation in the third match.

There was no clearer indication that the home side had surrendered before a ball was bowled when the same team, humiliated by 148 runs only 24 hours earlier, was announced for the match. The XI screamed out for changes but the selectors offered a collective shrug of the shoulders - "what's the point?" seemed to be the attitude.

Batting first looked to be a chore for all of the top order and the lack of urgency reflected the belief that respectability was all the Zimbabweans could hope for. Alistair Campbell adopted a responsibility level rarely shown by him at Test match level and the plan was for the rest of the side to bat around him.

Singles are the sun and water of any innings, let alone limited overs ones, and when defensive shots are played with a dead bat rather than an angled or steered one, the scoreboard never seems to move, despite the odd boundary.

To be fair, Zimbabwe were probably right to concentrate on restoring pride. Whether they did so is doubtful, but with five matches against England starting on Wednesday another mauling would have left them without a life jacket in a sea of despair.

With South Africa on 47-0 after five overs chasing Zimbabwe's 'respectable' 184-6, former captain and coach, Dave Houghton, walked out of his television commentary box with a blank, numb expression on his face: "I'm bleeding," was all he could say. Herschelle Gibbs against Zimbabwe's bowlers had even been embarrassing for South Africans to watch.

Perhaps, subconsciously, umpire Mohammad Essat was influenced by the unfairness and brutality of the contest when he gave his incredible lbw decision against the sublimely skilled opener, and all credit to Gibbs for smiling as he walked back to the pavilion. Or will the ICC's match referees now decide that smiling is dissent?

England may yet find themselves in a contest over the next fortnight if the locals can regroup. But if they do then coach Duncan Fletcher will realise that his own job of rebuilding the English one-day game is a more imposing task than he ever realised. This time, unlike in 1996, England really should "flippin murder 'em."

Neil Manthorp is a director of the South African sports news agency MWP Media Sport.

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