England are a work in 進歩, （人命などを）奪う，主張するs Vaughan

Michael Vaughan considered the prospect of England losing their hard-earned status as second best 実験（する） team in the world and 主張するd that the 未来 remained 有望な.

The chances of his team 伸び（る）ing the victory that would 保護する their 最高位の were 攻撃する，衝突する even before the hoped-for start of Tuesday's third 実験（する） was put 支援する two hours to noon (6.30am British time) at the

earliest.

Scroll 負かす／撃墜する for more

Match 審判（をする） Jeff Crowe decided that the wicket and

外野 were just too wet after a にわか雨 on MOnday afternoon and 強い雨 followed 夜通し.

England are 乗る，着手するing on a 旅行 into the unknown at this rebuilt Galle stadium on a new wicket which could do just about anything. Some 下落するs felt it looked like an old-fashioned 'sticky dog' from the days of

暴露するd pitches. If that is the 事例／患者, Monty Panesar will have to do his best Derek Underwood impression over the next five days.

船長／主将 Vaughan knows that anything but a victory in the emotion 告発（する），告訴（する）／料金d surroundings of the first 実験（する） match to be held here since the 津波 will see his team 急落する to fifth place in the ICC standings, the heady days of 2004 and 2005 becoming more 煙霧のかかった in the memory.

Another victory for Sri Lanka here and a 2-0 winning

scoreline, 一方／合間, would see them usurp England and move into

second 位置／汚点／見つけ出す behind Australia.

Already, England's 失敗 to 勝利，勝つ one of the first two 実験（する）s means they have been 勝利を得た in only two of their past eight series, a statistic that compelled the England captain to come to his team's defence.

As he sat in the new pavilion ― one of the only buildings that is ready here ― on a 本気で hot and 湿気の多い day before the heavens opened frustra tingly again to deposit a localised にわか雨 on the sodden pitch, Vaughan 主張するd that the slip 負かす／撃墜する the （米）棚上げする／（英）提議する, if it happens, would only be 一時的な.

'The 最高位のs are important and you never want to take a 減少（する）, but I do believe there are a lot of good things happening around this team,' said Vaughan.

'Whatever happens this week I'm sure that, as long as we keep 進歩ing the way we are, 実験（する） match 勝利，勝つs will come along sooner rather than later.

'We're a team in progression who are getting better. There are some areas of 関心, the 欠如（する） of first innings centuries and the fact that we 港／避難所't taken 20 wickets here の中で them, but I've seen enough to 示唆する both could happen this week. To get the result we want here we will have to get our 業績／成果s and our individual 質s 権利 to put 圧力 on Sri Lanka.'

This is a 実験（する） that is 全く impossible to 予報する. By the time you wake up on Tuesday, even 許すing for the late start, wickets could have 宙返り／暴落するd or the sub-continent's capacity to surprise could even have seen the ground staff miraculously 準備する a slow, low turner for which Galle used to be renowned.

England will he

perfectly happy if it is 高度に 冒険的な for that is their best chance of getting anything out of this series.

England took the unusual step of 指名するing a party of 12 for the 実験（する） on Monday after they were finally able to enjoy outdoor 逮捕する practice on the Galle 外野.

The most welcome sight was the return of Matthew Hoggard, who was みなすd fit enough to be 指名するd にもかかわらず still 苦しむing the 時折の 狙撃 苦痛 in his 支援する.

Hoggard has the fantastic 記録，記録的な／記録する of 49 wickets from 13 実験（する）s on the sub-continent at an 普通の／平均（する） of 26, a testament to the way he has 円熟したd into the leader of England's attack over the past four years si nce he was dropped after failing to impress at this same Galle ground.

Whatever the surface, Hoggard looks best equipped to make the most of it and England were hoping there would be no reaction to his 傷害 夜通し. Steve Harmison was also 指名するd in the party にもかかわらず 苦しむing from an ear 感染 in the build-up to the match.

There was also the 傾向 of Graeme Swann in the England 12 for the first time ― with Owais Shah, Jimmy Anderson and Stuart 幅の広い all out of 論争, but the off-spinner appears ありそうもない to make his 実験（する） debut. That is unless England go for broke, leave out Ravi Bopara, bat Matt 事前の at six and play five specialist bowlers. It would be a 抱擁する surprise.

The party was 選ぶd by Vaughan and coach Peter Moores, with input by phone from chairman of selectors David Graveney, a return to the 'old' way of selecting England teams abroad, as …に反対するd to the 勇敢に立ち向かう new world recommended by the Schofield 報告（する）／憶測 of a selector always on 小旅行する with England.

Graveney was here for the 早期に part of this 小旅行する but has returned at a time when England 直面する their most delicate 選択, something of a 後退 for the new system. It also （機の）カム on a day when 指名／任命s for the new 役割 of 国家の selector ― Graveney's 職業 but with 小旅行するing and a 十分な-time salary thrown in ― の近くにd, with Graham Gooch pulling out of the running.

It could 井戸／弁護士席 be that Graveney is given a （疑いを）晴らす run at the new 役割 unless the ECB's new managing director of the England team, Hugh Morris, 選ぶs a rabbit from the hat when interviews begin on January 7.

As for the 現在の series, the feeling remains that England 行方不明になるd their chance to take something from 訴訟／進行s when they lost the first 実験（する） in Kandy にもかかわらず 存在 in positions of some 当局 on the first two days.

That will be 特に 関連した should they spend much of the next five days off the field. But they are to be commended for 存在 so willing to play here when all logic 示唆するd that Galle is 簡単に not ready for this special occasion. This time, the mere presence of England and Sri Lanka means more than the result of a cricket match.

SRI LANKA (probable): M Jayawardene (capt),

Tharanga, Vandort, Sangakkara, Silva, Dilshan,

P Jayawardene (wkt), De Silva, Vaas, Malinga,

Muralitharan.

ENGLAND (probable): Vaughan (capt), Cook,

Bell, Pietersen, Collingwood, Bopara, 事前の

(wkt), Sidebottom, Harmison, Hoggard,

Panesar.

Umpires: Asad Rauf (Pak), D Harper (Aus).

審判（をする）: J Crowe (NZ). TV: Sky Sports 1, 4.30am.