RICHARD JOHNSON followed Nasser Hussain's advice to the letter yesterday to bowl England to the verge of another crushing Test victory over Zimbabwe.

Johnson took six for 33 on his England debut to force the Zimbabweans to bat again on a day when 16 wickets fell at Chester-le-Street.

Hussain has been frequently criticised by a posse of former Test players for talking to his bowlers too much in between deliveries.

But Somerset paceman Johnson revealed his captain had pointed the way to blowing apart Zimbabwe's frail batting line-up.

Johnson said: "After the first over, Nasser said we'd have a split field and told me to look for lbws by bowling straight.

"I tend to swing the ball away, but today the ball didn't really swing.

"In previous years, I might have tried to swing it away, even though it wasn't swinging. Had I been younger, I probably wouldn't have been so consistent.

"I was a bit surprised to get six wickets. I wasn't as nervous as I thought I would be, and the first wicket calms you down if you are nervous.

"It's been an absolutely brilliant day; I couldn't have dreamt for anything more than that.

"My parents and my mates are here, which is great. I've just seen them and they're all smiling."

Johnson has seen a welter of pace bowlers given their England chance since he was first called into the squad in 1995.

Now, however, he has a glorious chance to make a permanent place in the side his own as England look ahead to a five-Test series with South Africa later this summer.

Johnson said: "I always felt that, if I could keep on improving and keep working, I had a chance of playing for England.

"It's been a long time since I was first picked, but I never gave up hope that one day I would play.

"It was always disappointing to miss out, and I've had to watch other people come into the team.

"But I feel very comfortable with the other guys in the team because I've been in and around the side for so long. They've always been very supportive of me."

He added: "We've got to work hard on the third day.

"I'll look to bowl straight again, and hopefully I'll come good again."

Zimbabwe coach Geoff Marsh praised Johnson but bemoaned his players' technical flaws that were exploited by the England seamer.

Marsh, the former Australia Test batsman, said: "Johnson bowled very well; he bowled straight and hit the wicket very hard.

"If you bowl straight, you've got a chance, and he bowled the right lines for Test cricket.

"We had a poor day. There were seven lbws but we just kept putting the pad where the bat should have been.

"England bowled very straight and we just played the wrong line.

"It's disappointing for me and the team. I know how much they've worked to prepare for this Test match."