Date-stamped : 08 Feb96 - 02:36 World Cup 1996 Warm Up England v Lahore City Aitchson College, Lahore 7 February 1996 ====> REPORT Electronic Telegraph Thursday 8 February 1996 World Cup: England pitch into trouble on dusty surface By Peter Deeley in Lahore England (247-8) beat Lahore CA (185) by 65 runs ENGLAND`S joy at the 62-run win over a useful Lahore side in the only full practice game before the World Cup was tempered not only by the injury to Robin Smith. For all the charm of the English-like surroundings of exclusive Aitchison College, the pitch, a veritable dust bowl, was not of the quality a team require to prepare for such a prestigious com- petition. So, today, the players return to the Gymkhana Club ground for an intensive warm-up in the middle between themselves, at the risk of offending the college which has given the boys the day off and invited its governors along in anticipation of staging a second match. But Ray Illingworth is right to insist on the best available practice conditions and Michael Atherton will agree after being caught behind via his gloves off the 13th ball of the England in- nings to one that lifted sharply off a length. The visitors, who left out Neil Smith and Darren Gough, with Alec Stewart and Jack Russell sharing the wicketkeeping duties, were sent in to bat and for the first half-hour found themselves al- most stranded in the dewy conditions which prevail here at 9.30am (World Cup games start at nine o`clock). Stewart got an equally difficult delivery which he managed to slice down instead of up, but once the sun emerged conditions eased and he and Graeme Hick added 60 off the next 10 overs. The appearance of Pakistan Under-19 bowler Ali Asid abruptly sig- nalled a change in fortunes. First Hick miscued a pull to mid-on and next ball Smith took a pace forward to a shortish delivery going wide and snicked it straight to the wicketkeeper. On Monday at England`s first practice, the tall rangy Asid, as a guest net bowler, dismissed Smith twice in three deliveries. That night the Hampshire batsmen shaved off his moustache and had a short back and sides: "I don`t want anyone to recognise me," he joked. Unfortunately Asid clearly did. Asid, of whom we shall undoubtedly see more, finished with five for 38 In the next over Graham Thorpe pushed forward to find the ball popping on him and gave a gift catch to short midwicket. He was the third England batsman to go in eight deliveries and when Neil Fairbrother got an edge to backward point trying to work Asid to leg, England were embarrassingly 86 for five. Enter Russell - no better man in a crisis. He and Stewart added 72 off 95 balls before Stewart perished predictably, almost run out going for a single and being beaten when he dared a second. Stewart`s 65 came off 111 deliveries and his successor, Craig White, was as cheeky and hard-hitting. After a stand of 67 in 13 overs Russell was caught in the deep for 60 off 92 balls and White went in the final over, 37 off 38 deliveries. Asid, of whom we shall undoubtedly see more, finished with five for 38 (plus a dropped catch) but Dominic Cork`s opening salvo was equally impressive, removing both openers in his first two overs. It was, however, White, appearing to have rediscovered his all- round bite, who did most damage with four for 19 in eight overs. Peter Martin, on the other hand, was straight driven for a six and a four with the new ball and only picked up one wicket, at a cost of 40, at the very death. Lahore fielded two former Test players and one, Manzoor Elahi, gave them an unlikely chance of victory after plunging to 63 for six. Elahi hit 48 in a seventh-wicket stand of 90 and was dismissed when he skied White and Smith took the sprinting-diving catch which led to his injury. England 247-8 (50 overs); Lahore CA 185 (44.4 overs). England won by 62 runs. Source :: Electronic Telegraph (http://www.telegraph.co.uk) Contributed by Ravi (sista@*.latech.edu)