Sri Lanka vs England 2nd Test in doubt because team hotel in Pallekele is double-booked Exclusive: Local hotel overbooked to accommodate sizeable number of UK-based tour groups and is now unable to host teams as planned

England’s second Test against Sri Lanka in Pallekele next month could be moved to Colombo after it emerged neither team have been able to secure accommodation near the original venue.

The Sri Lankan Cricket Board (SLC) are understood to have booked 80 of the 104 rooms available at the Earl’s Regency hotel, a short trip from the Pallekele International Stadium, to house both teams and their support staff for the match that starts on 14 November.

UPDATE: Sri Lanka vs England 2nd Test will now go ahead as planned after government intervenes to avert ‘national crisis’

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But the hotel has since overbooked to accommodate the sizeable number of UK-based tour groups and are now unable to honour the original booking made by SLC.

Trying to rectify error

In an effort to rectify the error, the Sri Lankan board met on Wednesday with representatives of the tour groups and offered them inducements, including free hospitality for the Test, to persuade them to move travelling fans to different hotels.

One tour manager present at the meeting told i that SLC say the Test will be moved to Colombo, Sri Lanka’s capital, if the teams cannot be housed at the Earl’s Regency.

It is understood SLC have booked England into a hotel in Dambulla – a two-hour drive away from Pallekele – for the Test as a fall-back option. There is no stipulation by the International Cricket Council (ICC) about how close teams have to stay to a venue for any given match.

But there is little chance England would agree to such a long commute over the course of a Test.

Other solutions

One solution mooted by SLC is flying England from Dambulla to Pallekele by helicopter.

England are currently seeking to clarify the situation with the host board, who are responsible for accommodating visiting teams, but the prospect of the Test being moved is real.

That would present a logistical nightmare not only for both teams but the sizeable number of travelling England fans.