By BBC News Online's Thrasy Petropoulos

It will take either a good downpour or a good win to see England qualify for the final of the triangular one-day tournament in South Africa.

The former is more likely, the latter infinitely the more desirable.

Centurion Park, where - in theory at least - England take on Zimbabwe on Wednesday night for the right to meet South Africa in the final, has suffered a deluge of rain.

There will have to be a sudden change in climatic conditions over most of southern Africa for the teams even to take the field.

England do at least have the advantage of a marginally superior net run-rate to Zimbabwe (0.03 compared to -0.12), that will see them qualify if the game is rained off.

They have South Africa to thank for that particular development.

Up until their comprehensive defeat to South Africa on Sunday, Zimbabwe were sitting pretty at the top of the table with comfortably the best record.

That is Zimbabwe's problem and Nasser Hussain preferred not even to acknowledge the prospect of sneaking through on the display of a pocket calculator.

He rightly argued that England have vastly more to gain from winning a high-pressure match than merely appearing to be successful.

It should be remembered that in the two close games England have been involved in, they went away losers to South Africa - the chokers of the World Cup.

"These two games, if we get through, would be very good for us because we have a lot of young lads here," Hussain said.

"It would be nice for them to play in big games. That's what it's all about: a final at the Wanderers, day-night cricket, a big crowd.

"Now is when the pressure is on. You can't afford to lose so you find out quite a bit about people."

With a four-match tour of the country around the corner, it is also important that England do not allow the psychological advantage against Zimbabwe they just about clawed back with their crushing win in Kimberley slip away once again.

The record against a country of just two first-class sides still doesn't make good reading: Played 9, Won 3, Lost 6.

"We have to make sure that on Wednesday we remember that we are the professional country, we have a lot of cricketers," said Hussain.

"We just have to go about our business and be spot on from the moment we turn up, not think about the weather or any other eventualities.

"We just have to think that we are the better side and, if we play professionally, we will beat them. If we don't, the one thing they are very good at is exploiting your weaknesses.

"If you don't bowl very well, someone like Neil Johnson will take you to pieces; if you don't field very well, they'll push singles at you and will run you ragged; and if you don't bat very well, they'll bowl you out."

For all the importance placed on performing well under pressure, Hussain will not be drawn into the conclusion that failure to win the tournament means that he will leave South Africa empty-handed.

"We have got quite a few tangible things from this tour from various people on various days and sessions," he said.

"I have got quite a bit of pleasure out of it, but obviously it would be nice to go back as winners.

"It would also be nice to go back to the Wanderers where we haven't been since the shermozzle of the first Test."

It might not make up for the Test series defeat - but it would be a start