Zimbabwe done in by shining Knight

An unbeaten 82 by opener Nick Knight saw England score a convincing eight-wicket victory over Zimbabwe in the second one-day international at the Harare Sports Club on Saturday.

Chasing Zimbabwe's modest total of 195, England raced home, scoring 197 for 2 in only 37.3 overs.

Mark Ramprakash was the other unbeaten batsman, with 7 runs.

Mark Trescothick and Knight led England's charge, the former hitting a quickfire 45 from 35 balls before being caught by Dion Ebrahim off the bowling of Gary Brent.

Skipper Nasser Hussain then joined Knight as England coasted home. He fell in the 36th over with victory all but achieved, lbw to Heath Streak for 50.

Earlier, England fast bowler Matthew Hoggard took three wickets as Zimbabwe were dismissed for 195.

Zimbabwe, opting to bat, failed to take advantage of a useful start for the second game in a row as they were bowled out with five balls of their 50 overs remaining.

Hoggard, playing in his second one-day international, finished with three for 37 from his 10 overs.

After conceding nine runs in his first over, the tall seamer captured the wickets of Guy Whittall and Andy Flower in his first seven-over spell.

Whittall was deceived by a slower ball and was bowled off the inside edge with the total on 27.

Flower, one of the world's leading batsmen, lasted just 17 balls for six before having his leg stump uprooted by a yorker.

Hoggard later claimed the wicket of Craig Wishart for 34, caught at long on by Graham Thorpe, as the home team slumped from 83 for two and 128 for three, with the final seven wickets falling for 67.

Opener Alistair Campbell top-scored with 49 from 69 balls which included five boundaries.

He was dismissed by medium pacer Ben Hollioake after mistiming a pull straight to Nasser Hussain at square leg.

The collapse, however, started with the dismissal of Stuart Carlisle, caught for 40 at deep square leg by Marcus Trescothick off the bowling of occasional off-spinner Mark Ramprakash.

Carlisle shared a 40-run third wicket stand with Campbell and a 45-run fourth wicket partnership with Wishart in the only two meaningful alliances in the innings.

Off-spinner Jeremy Snape returned figures of two for 38, continuing the form that won him the man-of-the-match award on Wednesday in England's opening win of the five-match series.

Earlier, seamer James Kirtley opened the bowling under the scrutiny of International Cricket Council match referee Colonel Naushad Ali.

Ali was reportedly unhappy with Kirtley's action after the first game and said that he wanted to observe him closely during the match.

The 26-year-old Kirtley claimed one wicket and had Whittall dropped by wicketkeeper James Foster in his first over.