Cricket: Big dilemma; Selection problems for England coach.

Byline: By RICHARD GIBSON

ENGLAND coach Peter Moores admits there will have to be something of a selection punt for the second Test against Sri Lanka.

With swing bowler Matthew Hoggard almost certainly ruled out of the match, which begins at the SSC tomorrow, the tourists are likely to choose either Steve Harmison, whose international performances have been erratic of late, or Stuart Broad, untried at this level.

Although there is one more net session to go, Moores is prepared for the fact that Hoggard, who batted but could not bowl yesterday, "is not going to be fit".

Harmison, 29, has in excess of 200 Test wickets, having once been rated the best bowler on the planet, but has recently struggled to muster the menace that shot him there.

Broad, 21, has yet to make his Test bow but would add depth to the batting and was a success here in the one-day series.

"Whenever you play someone in a Test match you never quite know," said Moores. "Sometimes in a run of Test matches it is a bit easier to know what you are going to get.

"Certainly with Steve or Stuart there will always be an element of risk on how they handle the situation.

"Ultimately the real challenge for Steve will be when he pulls an England shirt on and plays for his country again.

"He will have questions about himself which he will want to answer, if he gets the opportunity in the second Test.

"Steve is an experienced Test cricketer; we know instantly we have got someone who creates bounce and creates pressure, somebody that they won't like to face because they know of his reputation."

Injuries and loss of confidence have hampered Harmison in the past two years, and if selected England will be hoping for the 2005 version that cut Ricky Ponting's cheek rather than the one which sent down that wide to begin last winter's Ashes.

England have taken a cautious approach to his return to the squad, dispatching him to South Africa to prove form and fitness before arriving here in Sri Lanka.

Selected for the victory over a Sri Lankan second string last month ahead of Broad, his participation lasted just 63 deliveries before back a spasm struck.

Concerns over Broad are whether his 6ft 7ins body, still growing until recently, can cope with the demands of three spells a day in consecutive days.

He came close to a Test debut in the summer against India but lost out to Chris Tremlett but earned his place in the original 15-man party after being England's second most prolific bowler in the 3-2 one-day victory over Sri Lanka.

"There is no doubt Stuart has done well in the one-day series and he has also adapted well whilst he has been here this time," said Moores. "The challenge with Stuart has always been when to release him into Test cricket.

"He's been pushing very hard. He's adaptable, he has got the knack of taking wickets and he's getting stronger all the time.

"Part of Stuart's thing is getting the physical strength to deliver his skill over a length of time. He's probably physically ready.

It will be pushing the limits for him, it will be challenging, but I certainly think he has got a Test match in him."

SRI LANKA VENGLAND:

SriLanka (from):DJayawardene (captain), Tharanga, Va ndort, Sangakkara, Silva, Mubarak, H Jayawardene (wicketkeeper), Muralitharan, Vaas, Fernando, Malinga, Bandara, deSilva.

England (from):Vaughan(captain), Cook, Bell, Pietersen, Collingwood, Shah, Bopara, Prior(wicketkeeper), Mustard, Swann, Broad, Sidebottom, Hoggard, Panesar, Anderson, Harmison.

SUMMARIES: Fourth ODI Bulawayo Zimbabwe 232-9 v West Indies 234-5 West Indies win by five wickets

TODAY: Third Test Match (day 1 of 5) Bangalore: India v Pakistan (04.00)

TOMORROW: (04.00 unless stated) Third Test Match (day 2 of 5) Bangalore: India v Pakistan Fifth ODI Bulawayo: Zimbabwe v West Indies (07.30) Second Test Match (day 1 of 5) Colombo: Sri Lanka v England (05.00)

CAPTION(S):

England coach Peter Moores, pictured on left with bowling coach Ottis Gibson and Steve Harmison, faces a selection headache ahead of the second Test; Stuart Broad (inset)