Kirtley asked to stay on as cover

In any event, with more rain forecast and the outfield now resembling a well trodden rugby ground in mid-winter, Sunday's final game is already in doubt unless the quality of covering is improved.

The unanswered question is why this tour was arranged to start in a month when rain is always likely.

"The two boards and the international schedule have brought us to Sri Lanka in November and that's monsoon time," said Vaughan. "Maybe that should be looked at."

At least Sri Lanka have the comfort of a 1-0 lead, thanks to their 10-wicket thrashing of England in Dambulla on Tuesday. Vaughan's men, on the other hand, urgently need to bat and bowl that humiliationout of their system. At least it should be dry in time for next month's Test series. Whatever the weather, though, England will be forced to unveil yet another new combination of fast bowlers.

Hoggard, Johnson and Andrew Flintoff are the leading candidates to form Vaughan's pace attack in Galle following the latest double injury blow.

But the sudden absence of both Steve Harmison and Anderson is nothing more than par for the course.

Since the start of last winter's Ashes series in Australia almost exactly a year ago, England have used 15 fast bowlers in 14 Tests - and only twice fielded the same pace attack.

Harmison, Anderson, Flintoff and Darren Gough appeared in consecutive matches against South Africa during the summer.

That, though, was where the notion of a settled attack began and ended.

From the moment Simon Jones collapsed in a heap on the Brisbane outfield last November after rupturing knee ligaments right through to Wednesday afternoon when Anderson turned his ankle here while playing squash, England pacemen have been falling like flies.