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Wiser and, if the players are honest, a little bit chastened after their mauling by South Africa, England must turn the lessons of that thumping defeat to proper use when they play Zimbabwe at Trent Bridge today. They will not get over a hiding like that until they beat their conquerors in a match that matters, and if they are to meet them again in this World Cup - in the final, that is - a win today is vital.

``The final!'' some people will scoff. ``What dreamers you are.'' On the evidence presented so far no person sound of mind would wager more than a tanner on England going beyond the Super Sixes and, should they fail in Nottingham, even that modest attainment might prove beyond them. The last thing England want, after winning their first two games so comfortably, is to head for Edgbaston on Saturday knowing that they must beat India to progress.

So there can be no pussy-footing by the Trent. They must beat Zimbabwe, and beat them well, to restore their own confidence and to show the cricketing public that the events at the Oval, while overwhelming, have not sapped their strength. They can expect a thorough examination. Though Zimbabwe's nerve failed against Sri Lanka, it held against India, and they can draw comfort from an outstanding record against England of five wins in six one-day internationals.

Their players will not be disappointed to be back in Nottingham, where their predecessors sprang the first major World Cup upset. It was on this evocative ground in June 1983 that Zimbabwe beat an Australia side containing Lillee, Thomson, Marsh and Border by 13 runs. It was their first World Cup, and it was the only game of six they won, but what a good one they chose.

Two men involved in today's match belonged to that party. David Houghton, their coach, made a duck as Zimbabwe defended a 60- over score of 239 for six. Graeme Hick was no more than a slip of a lad, just turned 17, straight from his family's farm, and he spent the tournament itching for a chance that never came.

The following summer he made his debut for Worcestershire and in time settled in the pear county. Now he bats first wicket down for England and, with his shoulder healed, he may be called upon to bowl a few overs of off-spin. He would be less than human if he were not to close his eyes this morning and try to summon up a more innocent time. The intervening 16 years have brought him many joys, and quite a few sorrows.

Houghton is at the heart of Zimbabwe cricket, and it would be a personal triumph if the team qualified for the second stage of a World Cup for the first time. ``If we win I think we'll qualify,'' he said yesterday, ``but I still think England will go through.

``We would like to have won three games out of three by now, but we haven't. Our record against England gives us a lot of confidence, and I'll use that in our team talk. The next match is the one that counts.''

Another matter he will raise in his briefing is the tour England undertook to Zimbabwe in 1996-97, when the 'Zims' won the one-day contest 3-0. That followed a fractious Test series in which David Lloyd, the England coach, made some famously indiscreet remarks at a press conference that bounced back to trip him up, as words often do.

Lloyd, for his part, has to establish what team will serve England best. Angus Fraser replaced Ian Austin at the Oval and, though he finished wicketless, he will probably start again today. The only change is likely to be the return of the former captain, Adam Hollioake, for Robert Croft.

In conditions that have given sides bowling first every encouragement, England have not been successful in the first 15 overs, before the field goes back. Stewart has won all three tosses so far and in that opening period, when the ball has moved around considerably, England have dismissed only two Sri Lankans and one Kenyan.

Against South Africa it took them 25 overs to part the openers, by which time they had made eight more runs than England were to make in their completed innings. There are problems to resolve here, though it must be stressed their overall bowling performance against South Africa, irrespective of the eventual outcome, was highly commendable. Nobody could say they lacked spirit.

South Africa and Pakistan, to name the two most obvious teams, have the knack of knocking over wickets early on. Mind you, they have the bowlers to do it. In Darren Gough, England have a fast bowler worthy of comparison with the finest, and as the tournament advances he will become a more important figure.

As Pakistan showed at Leeds, in holding off the Australians, teams need five authentic bowlers to prosper. At the moment England are fiddling that fifth bowler, with partial contributions. It is a strategy full of risk and, by this stage of a World Cup, some things should be set in stone. Not even victory against Zimbabwe will alter the fact that the England cake looks half-baked.

They have even taken to regarding themselves as underdogs, which is a most peculiar view, no matter how thin their record against Zimbabwe. What they need today is a decisive win, every bit as convincing as the defeat they endured at the Oval. It's time for a fresh start.

A Protest by India over playing conditions during their defeat by Zimbabwe has been rejected by the organisers. They said their technical committee decided that officials had been correct in allowing Zimbabwe to end restrictions on field placings after 13 overs of the Indian innings rather than 15.