Cricket Sri Lanka v England: England are considering dropping Nasser Hussain for the series-deciding Test against Sri Lanka in Colombo this week.

Humid conditions in the capital and extra bounce in the SSC Ground pitch mean the tourists are likely to ditch their tactic of employing seven batsmen to accommodate another seamer.

If that policy is adopted, 90-cap Hussain, who led his country to a famous 2-1 win in Sri Lanka three winters ago, will be up against Durham's Paul Collingwood for the final place.

Collingwood has impressed with the bat and, despite not making heavy runs, has occupied the crease for long spells against Muttiah Muralitharan since deputising for Hussain in the opener at Galle.

Hussain missed the first of two draws so far with flu and his return to the side was marred by unproven allegations that he called Muralitharan a "chucker" and a "cheat".

Although Hussain has managed only 27 runs in three first-class innings on this tour, he struck scores of 76 and 95 in the second-Test win over Bangladesh in October.

Collingwood has spent more than six hours in the middle, shown sharp reflexes when fielding close to the bat and made a smooth transition to Test cricket.

England captain Michael Vaughan said: "It's always difficult to tell someone that they are not in the final XI, but we have got to make a decision and it is a hard decision if you have got a few good players around.

"Obviously if we do play an extra bowler we will have to decide whether to stick with the experience of Nasser Hussain or go with the way Paul Collingwood is playing at the moment.

"Nasser is playing okay, he probably just needs more time in the middle.

"But before the last game I needed time out there and I got a lot of runs - I always say you are one knock away from a hundred and that is what Nasser is."

The chances of both batsmen being retained will lessen if Andrew Flintoff, who took the new ball in Kandy, is still troubled by a niggling back problem.

Coach Duncan Fletcher views Flintoff as a batting all-rounder and has expressed concern at the workload of the Lancastrian.

County colleague James Anderson could be the bowler to benefit from the increase in the strike force, as the atmosphere encourages swing.

When James Kirtley exploited movement through the air at the Asgiriya Stadium, he lacked a partner at the other end who could find similar bend, and Anderson (21) is the best exponent of the art in the party.

Kirtley's role was briefly questioned yesterday, however, after match referee Clive Lloyd denied he wanted to view footage of the Sussex seamer at the time his action underwent remedial work.

Reports suggested Lloyd requested tapes from autumn 2001 when Bob Cottam helped modify Kirtley's delivery after he was reported to the International Cricket Council.

Neither Daryl Harper nor Aleem Dar, the on-field officials, made reference to Kirtley in their second Test assessment, however, and Lloyd said: "I wouldn't do that unless the umpires have said something is wrong and they haven't."

Vaughan added: "They should leave the lad alone and let him get on with his cricket. What you get with Jimmy Kirtley is 100 per cent effort and he is a thinking cricketer.

"He has bowled on very flat wickets at Hove all his career and on a similar wicket at Kandy we saw him be very threatening to their players at various stages."

Sri Lanka have dominated three-quarters of both Tests, having won both tosses. A change of fortune tomorrow morning could be crucial, however, if England are to produce a repeat.

"The pitch they produce here normally provides a result and the team that can withstand the pressure will probably come out victorious.

"If I lose the toss again I might not go back to the dressing-room," Vaughan joked. "But who knows it may even be a good omen?"