Another explosive contest expected

After a controversial first Test in Galle and almost a fortnight to brood on the consequences of some awful umpiring England captain Nasser Hussain was adamant yesterday that he would not allow his players to compromise their aggression when the second Test got under way here this morning.

Instead he had intended to ask them to be "Australian-type cricketers, playing hard, fair, upfront and in their faces". With Sri Lanka no doubt prepared to match them comment for comment and trick for trick, it promises to be another politically delicate encounter for the match referee Hanumant Singh, who in the same role in the first Test imposed a suspended onematch ban on Graeme Hick for dissent and fined four Sri Lankans 25 per cent of their match fees for overzealous appealing.

Again Hussain defended his team's disciplinary record over the past few years, despite Hick's show of dissent when given out in Galle and the two flashes of irritation shown by Darren Gough during peripheral matches. The first led to an official complaint from the Sri Lankan board and prompted the England management to remind their players of their responsibilities.

"I've seen all the stuff about getting even not mad but there are so many different ways to win a Test," said the England captain. "We have to do the basics right, play it hard, keep our dignity and try to win in the way we've done in the past year."

His team talk, he said, would contain very little mention of the umpiring, even though his side have vivid memories of the independent official for this match, Rudi Koertzen, and Hussain himself of the home umpire, BC Cooray, who in Cape Town last year gave him out lbw when he had run the ball to third man from the face of his bat.

"Obviously after what happened in Galle the spotlight will be on both teams," he said. "So I will be making a comment about playing it the right way. But I want them to play hard and not roll over - I've always said that - and I want them to go out and show the Sri Lankans that we mean business."

With England set to name an unchanged side, Hussain offered an enigmatic response to the now traditional pre-Test question about the choice of Hick rather than the unfortunate Michael Vaughan.

"Michael will have a very successful Test career. It is not that we are leaving him out as such," he remarked curiously. "It is just how we get him back in. It was just unfortunate that he got injured in Pakistan and Graeme helped win the Test in Karachi. We are trying to show some faith. Michael is a fine Test player."

However, little faith has been shown in Vaughan, who played match-winning innings at Lord's and especially at Headingley last summer.