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by Sa'adi Thawfeeq reporting from England

CARDIFF, WALES, Monday - As the four-day game against Glamorgan came to its inevitable conclusion - a draw, with the fourth and final day's play also being washed out by rain, Sri Lanka were left in a spot of bother whether they should risk playing fast bowler Dilhara Fernando in the second Test against England starting at Edgbaston on Thursday.

Sri Lanka was hoping to give Fernando a long bowling stint in the match against Glamorgan. But after the county invited the tourists to bat first on the opening day, the chances of Fernando taking the red shiny cherry in his hands and thundering past the umpire to send down his first ball in competitive cricket in over a month receded with each passing day, as bad weather prevented play in any of the next three days.

So Sri Lanka are left with the task of having to decide whether they should risk playing Fernando for his extra pace at Edgbaston, not knowing whether his recovered back can stand the strain of lasting five days of a Test match. If the Edgbaston pitch turns out to be as bland as the one at Lord's, Fernando maybe called upon to bowl around 50 overs in the match, which was the average output of each of the four seamers on display at Lord's - Chaminda Vaas, Nuwan Zoysa, Buddhika Fernando and Ruchira Perera.

The question mark against Perera's bowling action makes it imperative for the team management to play Fernando. But by doing so they maybe taking a great risk, as much as trying to play off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan whose chances are only 50-50.

There is no reason why Perera should not play at Edgbaston, provided his confidence remains intact and he can withstand the inevitable scrutiny from the television cameras.

Perera cannot be reported again by umpires during the six weeks he is taking remedial action to correct the fault in his bowling, which comes into play only when he strives for pace. But it won't stop the umpire from no-balling him for throwing if they felt he was blatantly transgressing.

The plus factor with Perera is that he does not read any English newspapers, which has made him less vulnerable to all that has been said and written about him in the British press.

Perera also has won quite a few British sympathizers. In the Letters to the Sports Editor column of the 'Sunday Times', one reader Leslie Fraser-Mitchell from Swaffham writes: "It has become one of the hall-marks of success as a bowler to do well against England and then be accused of throwing. Ruchira Perera of Sri Lanka can now be said to have arrived. How much more dignified it would be to admit that the bowlers in question simply proved too good for our batsmen".

Another Englishman, James Kirtley, the Sussex and England 'A' fast bowler who was also accused of having a flawed action and had to modify his technique said: "It's not something I would wish on anybody, and I have a lot of sympathy for Ruchira. He is in a difficult position. He will be having self-doubts, as I did. You don't know why nobody said anything for so long, why this thing had not reared its head before. It's a tough time. I can imagine what he's going through, but being here in England it's probably a bit more documented".

Coach Dav Whatmore was quoted in 'The Sunday Telegraph': "He's (Murali) not just a piece of meat. There are other factors apart from whether he can bowl. It'll be difficult to raise a bat with that shoulder" when he was questioned whether the champion off-spinner would be fit for the Edgbaston Test.

From the looks of it, Sri Lanka are not prepared to rush their priceless icon into action before he is fully fit. "I was very happy with our bowling at Lord's. People are pulling together, taking a bit more responsibility," said Whatmore.

While Perera remains 'available for selection' Sri Lanka are not short of bowlers with leg-spinner Upul Chandana and the off-spin of Tilan Samaraweera available as options.

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