By Henry Olonga Former Zimbabwe cricketer

The suggestion is that there is a huge gulf between England and Zimbabwe after the one-sided first Test at Lord's, but I'm not so sure.

If there is one then it is because England know how to use their own conditions.

Butcher took a bag because he knew how to bowl in the conditions

Heath Streak was correct when he said Zimbabwe are not comfortable in English surroundings.

The technique shown by the batsmen was all wrong and they were exposed.

But they aren't struggling because they can't bat or because they don't want to succeed, they're simply struggling because of the conditions.

At home, they can get by without moving their feet and still plunder the bowling all over the place.

Wickets are slower and lower and you can get into a mode where you are able to handle any type of bowling.

But they were given a rude awakening when the ball moved off the seam and around in the air in the first Test.

Mark Butcher got plenty of wickets simply because he pitched the ball up.

I think it's fair to say he wouldn't pick up a whole host of wickets anywhere else.

There was never any previous indication that he was a fine bowler; he is a part-time bowler who swung the ball and pitched it up.

James Anderson, however, is an example of a quality bowler who did a similar thing and reaped the benefits.

Four of his five wickets were bowled, all because the batsmen played the wrong line to a full, swinging ball.

Streak was one of the only Zimbabweans to bowl sensibly

Zimbabwe's bowlers did not adhere to such simple policies when they had their chance on the opening day.

They will rue the fact they didn't make use of the new ball on the first day in favourable conditions.

Streak and Andy Blignaut bowled well, but all in all team management will be asking the bowlers to lift their game.

But as a professional cricketer you dream of wickets that assist you.

The conditions may be alien to most Zimbabwe players, but it's one thing bowling in India where the wickets are flat and bone dry and you don't get any help, and it's another thing bowling in England.

The pitch at Lord's on the first day would have been unplayable had Zimbabwe's bowlers done the right thing and performed to their best.

They may have found it hard to control the ball, but by the same token they are the conditions fast bowlers dream of.

That's why Streak opted to bowl.

Zimbabwe don't have a choice but to raise their game before the next Test in Durham.

The batsmen are going to have to start moving their feet, but you can't sort out a technique in a week and a half.

The harder you try to change the more focused you become on it and the less instinctive you are at the crease.

Learning to move your feet won't guarantee a big score in the second Test.

But it will at least mean that Zimbabwe will be able to defend better and spend more time in the middle.