Galle International Stadium looks a picture. There is the shining blue Indian Ocean in the distance, the ramparts of the sturdy old Dutch Fort as a backdrop and the playing area is ringed by lush grass banks. The ground authorities, aware of the English love for gardening, have even created a quaint water garden in the once barren car park.

Galle International Stadium Photo CricInfo

The England team, however, does not two give hoots for the aesthetics. King Solomon may well have gone to Galle for his spices and gems, but they've come for the cricket and are mightily concerned about 22 yards of rolled black mud. They expect it to be well crafted and custom made for Sri Lanka's twirly men, three of whom may play come Thursday. The England captain, Nasser Hussain said: "I presume that it will favour the spinners and would be surprised if it doesn't."

The choice of Galle for the First Test Match did not happen by chance. This is a happy hunting ground for the Sri Lankans, and it offers them their best chance of a rout in the series. Conditions for the Second Test in Kandy are difficult to predict because weather plays an important role and the Sinhalese Sports Club, the venue for the Final Test, could well offer the English fast bowlers some pace and movement.

Like day follows night, the Galle wicket will turn. The only question is how much, how soon, and will the cracks crumble like they did during last year's Test against South Africa, when Kumar Sangakkara wore a helmet for protection behind the stumps?

Although cricket has been played in Galle from the early days (Douglas Jardine stopped off here before the infamous Bodyline series) there have been only four Tests to date in this ancient maritime port. Sri Lanka crushed New Zealand in 1997 after the venue's redevelopment, and South Africa by an innings last year. Steve Waugh's Australian's were only saved by the monsoon rains in 1998 and Sri Lanka's only defeat here was at the hands of Pakistan last year.

England are particularly concerned about a curator with an axe to grind. Jayantha Warnaweera looks harmless enough as he ambles around the stadium under his sun-washed floppy hat, but he dominates Southern Province cricket like a latter-day chief, and knows a thing or two about preparing dust bowls.

He bowled waspish off-cutters for Sri Lanka in ten Test matches and would have played more had he not been nicknamed "Spear" by some, and accused of throwing by the English in 1993. England fear that he will be out to exact revenge, and expect the worst. He shrugs his shoulders and says innocently: "Why do they think I dislike them?"

When CricInfo first asked Warnaweera about the pitch, over five weeks ago, he predicted the match would last a maximum of four days. Now he has publicly mellowed: "It will be a slow turner, but I don't think it will break up. The bounce should be even and on the first day the seamers should get some assistance."

The wicket itself has a green hue at the moment and wouldn't look out of place behind the Sussex Downs. The ground staff, marshalled with military discipline by Warnaweera, have worked tirelessly over the past week, shuttling gargantuan tarpaulins on and off the square as heavy downpours have interrupted preparations. The result is that the wicket remains slightly under-rolled and with more moisture than expected. Thus, although the grass is sure to be severely shaved over the next 48 hours, the fast bowlers could still have a role to play.

Indeed, fast bowlers have prospered in Galle. Shaun Pollock excelled last year in his first game as captain, and Pakistan secured an innings victory thanks to Abdur Razzaq, who picked up a hat trick, Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis.

Asked to comment on the pitch conditions in Galle, the Sri Lanka coach Dav Whatmore was frank: "Last year we lost against Pakistan and won against South Africa, one wicket seamed and the other spun." Unsurprisingly, the production of that seaming track infuriated the management, and the ground staff are unlikely to make the same mistake again.

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