No coming back from defeat, warns Hussain

Stage two of what England's captain has identified as their World Cup knock-out run gets under way in Port Elizabeth tomorrow, with the cobwebs blown away to a reassuring degree by their opening win at Buffalo Park on Sunday.

This is the last of England's "minnow matches" and is against a side that is already weighted to the bottom of the Group A table, with two overwhelming defeats (by Pakistan and Zimbabwe) and a massively inferior run rate.

With so little time left before their matches against Pakistan, India and Australia, England do not have the luxury enjoyed by the tournament favourites of being able to make changes for the lesser games.

"We are running out of chances," Nasser Hussain said. "There's no coming back from a loss for us. We have to win convincingly.

"The teams will get better and better as the competition progresses for us and we have to look at every game as if it's a semi-final or final."

Namibia are coached by Warwickshire's Scotsman Dougie Brown, who played nine one-day internationals for England in 1997 and 1998. Tournament debutants they may be, but Brown is not without ambition for tomorrow's encounter.

"It hasn't really gone according to plan up to now but there is nothing to say we can't do something to make people sit up and say we are not such a bad side after all," Brown said.

"We're not going to be daunted or fazed by any of the players in the England side. We thoroughly respect them but we're going to try and score and play to the best of our ability. We're not out there to be everyone's whipping boys or just to make up the numbers."

Brown's Warwickshire team-mate, Nick Knight, will be keen to build on his opening 51 against the Netherlands, and believes that England have plenty to offer despite the controversial build-up to the tournament.

"Cricket is what we've come out here for and we were chuffed to get back on the cricket pitch," Knight said.

"We're determined to do ourselves justice in the World Cup and do well. We've had a good preparation in the last week among all that's been going on and we're quietly confident we can do something special."

Michael Vaughan, who also compiled a half-century against the Netherlands, is keeping his fingers crossed that it could be the start of a cup run of his own.

"I'm going into these games looking to play exactly as I have all year," said Vaughan, who reached double figures only three times in his first eight one-day international appearances.

"I've only played about 20-odd matches and my first eight or so were shambolic performances against Pakistan and Australia in my first series, but I have been quite pleased with the way I've been playing.

"They've now given me a settled position at number three and it is one I feel comfortable in. If I can settle into that role I'm hoping I'll be able to produce the performances that can help England."

Vaughan also insisted that the England squad are hoping that Hussain will remain as captain, following his admission that he will consider his future in the job after the tournament following the recent Zimbabwe crisis.

"Nasser's doing a fantastic job and we're all behind him and hope he'll continue after the World Cup," Vaughan added, despite hinting that he would be interested in the job further down the line.

"First and foremost the job isn't available and I'm just concentrating on my batting, it's my first World Cup, which is a fantastic occasion, and I'm determined I'm going to go out and enjoy it.

"But if after the end of this tournament, or in a year's time, the job becomes available then obviously I'd like my name to be mentioned."