Date-stamped : 29 Dec93 - 18:49 England v Board President's XI 13 Jan. 1993 (Tour Match). Played at Delhi. The Guardian 14 January 1993 - Sidhu sadistic and England sham- bolic - David Hopps in Delhi. It might be a result of unease at India's state of flux, it might be the haggling that went on over the tour itinerary, or it might even be something in the water. But whatever the explana- tion, England's nine-wicket defeat against a Board President's XI in Delhi yesterday was little short of a shambles. ''Our cricket in every department wasn't up to the normal stan- dard,'' said Graham Gooch. It must be assumed that England's cap- tain expressed himself more trenchantly in private after a per- formance that bodes ill for the first one-day international in Jaipur on Monday. Of most concern is the frailty of England's middle order, which again collapsed without trace against the Indian spinners. Smith, Hick and Fairbrother are all awaiting their first score of note and the two Southern Africans, especially, possess a rigid tech- nique which does not do them any favours in such conditions. Gooch will trust that England's fielding was also an aberration. To their failure to accept a couple of simple catches must be ad- ded some deplorable ground fielding. Of the bowlers, only Jarvis performed with purpose. Someone suggested to Gooch that England needed more practice. In truth, the sooner the real cricket starts the happier everybody will feel. England's 245 for eight in 50 overs fell about 30 runs below ex- pectations on a docile pitch, especially after Gooch and Stewart, for openers, put on 83 in 16 overs. The President's XI rarely looked in serious difficulty as they won with 14 balls to spare, Sidhu and Ajay Sharma confirming their authority over the final 26 overs with an unbroken stand of 172. England's lowest point came when they fluffed an opportunity to dismiss both batsmen from the same delivery. Gatting dropped a simple catch at midwicket to reprieve Sidhu, on 103; DeFreitas fumbled his return to the bowler's end as he failed to run out Sharma. Gooch's moustache curled in disbelief. Sidhu, recalled to India's one-day squad, marked the occasion with 130 not out, off 135 balls. He is a heavily bearded man of mournful demeanour, but if he spends the entire tour hitting Em- burey for six he must eventually break into a smile. Emburey disappeared for three more sixes yesterday, making 12 in all in only 28.4 overs on tour. Sidhu has launched nine of them, all more or less over long-on, as he has advanced down the pitch with absolute certainty. There was one occasion yesterday when he gestured towards a group of supporters to move from behind the bowler's arm, presumably in the interests of crowd safety. Emburey left the Kotla stadium wiping a handkerchief against his left eye and, although the tears were caused only by an eye in- fection, figs. of 7.4-0-59-0 were enough to drive him to distrac- tion. It may be that in his desire to bowl his off-spin a touch slower he has come down to a hittable speed. His change of method, which served him well in England last summer, is begin- ning to look like a mid-life crisis. Emburey's second spell began with the Indians requiring 69 off the last 10 overs and Sidhu, who had moved through the 90s with dangerous over-caution, a single short of his century. That over cost 19, including two successive leg-side sixes by Sharma and two pitch invasions. The first, for Sharma's 50, was joined by several scampering two-year-olds; the second, greeting Sidhu's hundred, inexplicably attracted a much older audience. Only Gooch batted with authority for England, and even that was misleading. He was bowled and then caught at the wicket, only to be reprieved both times because Kuruvilla had overstepped. He reached 85 from 105 balls before he was bowled driving at the off-spinner Chowhan. Fairbrother scratched through 15 overs for 17 before he was leg-before, sweeping, and Hick fell third ball, seeking to cut Sharma's curly left-arm slows. Gatting's run-out, after being sent back by Reeve, fitted the pattern. According to Hareesh, Lucknow's most famous astrologer, Smith will experience either a world-shattering or an abysmal series, on the dubious grounds that he was born on the 13th of the month. What is certain is that there will be nothing in between. On receipt of this revelation, Hareesh's business associates have bet large sums of money on Smith making a century in all three Tests. Yesterday, on 15 and facing Maninder, he stretched forward to a ball that pitched middle and struck off. The Lucknow bailiffs are already stirring themselves in anticipation. Contributed by The Management (help@cricinfo.com)