`Zimbabwe were not in this game'

The England coach, David Lloyd, insisted "we absolutely murdered them" after his team came within a run of an exciting victory over Zimbabwe in the first Test at Bulawayo yesterday.

"We hammered them in this match, and they know it," he said. "It finished up with nine fielders on the boundary edge - they were murdered. They were not in this game, and with one more ball we would have won it."

Of the opposition's tactics, he said: "They were within the laws. Suddenly their coach seemed to take control and you have a wonderful leg spinner Paul Strang just throwing the ball anywhere, and Heath Streak as well, who is ranked No 4 in the world, doing anything to ensure the batsmen couldn't reach the ball.

"I had to go for a walk around the boundary towards the end because I was getting a bit emotional."