England Cricket news

Bresnan likely to miss Sri Lanka series

Tim Bresnan is likely to miss the three-Test series against Sri Lanka after suffering a torn calf muscle. He had already been ruled out of Yorkshire's County Championship match against Lancashire in Liverpool and a scan revealed the full extent of the injury.

It is a recurrence of the problem he picked up during the one-day series in Australia, which forced him to fly home to be fit in time for the World Cup. The latest injury occurred during the Championship game against Hampshire last week where Bresnan was on course to bowl Yorkshire to victory after taking 3 for 18.

"A rehabilitation and recovery programme will be established in the coming days following further medical assessment," said an ECB statement.

The Hampshire match was Bresnan's first Championship outing of the season following a winter where he played a key role in the Ashes success and became England's senior one-day paceman at the World Cup. He earlier impressed with the bat, making 87 to haul Yorkshire out of trouble in the first-innings and hint at the all-round role he could play for England.

Even a fit Bresnan may not have featured in Cardiff, though, because England have plenty of pace options to select from. Stuart Broad, who missed the last three Ashes Tests through injury, is expected to slot back into the side while James Anderson and Chris Tremlett were outstanding against Australia.

However, the selectors are likely to want some pace-bowling cover in the squad and that will mean an opportunity for one of the England Lions bowlers to step up. Steven Finn and Ajmal Shahzad will both play against Sri Lanka, while Jade Dernbach and the fit-again Graham Onions are also in the squad.