Hoggard in squad for final Test
Tuesday, 18 December 2007
GALLE, Dec 17 (BBC): England have named Matthew Hoggard in a 12-man squad but will make a late decision on his fitness for the final Test against Sri Lanka in Galle.
Hoggard missed the last Test with a back injury. Steve Harmison's ear infection also makes him a doubt.
Uncapped off-spinner Graeme Swann is in the 12, with England to decide their line-up on the morning of the match. Heavy rain at the venue on the eve of the match forced the start time to be put back until 0630 GMT Tuesday.
Officials raced throughout the week to get the venue ready to host its first Test since the ground was hit by the 2004 tsunami.
Galle has traditionally favoured spin bowlers but no-one is sure how the new pitch will play. England decided against altering their batting line-up so Ravi Bopara was again preferred to Owais Shah.
Stuart Broad, who made his debut in last week's drawn second Test in Colombo, and James Anderson miss out.
Writing in The Times Monday, Hoggard said his injury is "very nearly mended" but that he is still plagued by a shooting pain from his back round to his stomach "once every few overs".
Hoggard missed the last Test with a back injury. Steve Harmison's ear infection also makes him a doubt.
Uncapped off-spinner Graeme Swann is in the 12, with England to decide their line-up on the morning of the match. Heavy rain at the venue on the eve of the match forced the start time to be put back until 0630 GMT Tuesday.
Officials raced throughout the week to get the venue ready to host its first Test since the ground was hit by the 2004 tsunami.
Galle has traditionally favoured spin bowlers but no-one is sure how the new pitch will play. England decided against altering their batting line-up so Ravi Bopara was again preferred to Owais Shah.
Stuart Broad, who made his debut in last week's drawn second Test in Colombo, and James Anderson miss out.
Writing in The Times Monday, Hoggard said his injury is "very nearly mended" but that he is still plagued by a shooting pain from his back round to his stomach "once every few overs".