DAMBULLA, Oct 3 (BBC): England are set to retain Graeme Swann as their sole spinner for Thursday's second floodlit one-day international against Sri Lanka in Dambulla.
That would mean no place for Monty Panesar, who missed the 119-run defeat in game one of the five-match series.
England must win at least one of the two remaining Dambulla matches to keep the series alive for the Colombo games.
Meanwhile, Swann said he hoped to pair up with former Northants colleague Panesar at some stage in the tour. Swann made an international comeback Monday after more than seven years in the wilderness.
He took 1-47 and was one of the few England batsmen to score his runs - 24 off 12 balls - at a decent rate.
Swann added: "I didn't really look at it as me being picked instead of Monty.
"When the team was announced I was a bit hazy after my name was read out as to who the other bowlers were and I had to go and ask a few minutes later.
"It would have been nice to have bowled with Monty and rekindle the partnership we had at Northants six or seven years ago.
"But there are four more games to go and hopefully at some stage on this trip I will get the chance to bowl with him."
England are likely to resist making any changes, and captain Paul Collingwood was pleased enough with wicket-keeper Phil Mustard's debut.
England likely to exclude Panesar
FE Team | Published: October 04, 2007 00:00:00 | Updated: February 01, 2018 00:00:00
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