England finished short of expectations in the third one-day international against Zimbabwe in Harare. At 149 for two with 13 overs remaining, England looked set for 270 or may be more, but instead had to settle for 248 for seven. That score was sustained by 80 from Graeme Hick on his 'homecoming' to the city of his birth, and 53 off 83 balls by Darren Maddy, his first international half-century.
Late hitting by Craig White (27 not out off 33 balls) and Andy Caddick (21 not out off 18) added 41 in the final 34 deliveries, Caddick belting Henry Olonga for a straight six in the penultimate over. It is still a score which England's bowlers will feel confident of defending to secure a 3-0 lead in the fourth match series following the two victories in Bulawayo last week. After 20 overs, the picture looked even brighter at 108 for two but England managed only 51 from the next 15 overs, and lost Hick in the process.
England could have done with Hick batting through the innings but, after escaping a stumping chance on 78, he was run out in the next over. He was a shade slow off the mark when Maddy called and Murray Goodwin's throw from mid off beat him fractionally to the striker's end. Hick struck 10 fours in 95 balls, nine of them in his first 45 runs, before the fielding restrictions were lifted after 15 overs.
Hick and Maddy added 64 in 95 deliveries, and Maddy departed mad with himself in the 43rd over after reverse-sweeping Dirk Viljoen straight into point's hands, and Mark Ealham was bowled for duck two balls later trying to make room to hit through the off side. Then Chris Read hit back a return catch to Viljoen in the 45th over. Captain Nasser Hussain fell to Bryan Strang for a single in the second over and his last eight innings on the one-day leg of the tour have produced only 104 runs with his last five reading 10-8-3-2-1. His partner Nick Knight could not find his touch and departed for 26, mis-hitting a catch to mid on.
