England to play at rebuilt Galle

Shane Warne took his 500th Test wicket in Galle in March 2004

The first top-class match to be staged at Galle International Stadium since the devastating 2004 tsunami will be Sri Lanka's first Test against England.

England are scheduled to play there from 1 December, before Tests in Colombo and Kandy. The tour will follow a one-day series in early October.

Sri Lanka is also building a new international cricket stadium in the arid southern district of Hambantota.

Initial work on that stadium is due to be completed by the end of 2008.

In December 2005 it was announced that total costs to rebuild the Galle stadium would be in the region of £1 million.

The stadium, which has staged 11 Test matches, felt the full impact of the tsunami when it hit the southern coast of Sri Lanka, one of a dozen countries to be affected.

With a historic Dutch-built fort as its backdrop and views of the Indian Ocean, it has been frequently described as one of the most beautiful grounds in the world.