The 15-match itinerary includes first-class matches against county sides, Somerset, Glamorgan, Leicestershire, Middlesex and Hampshire, which will form part of the 1998 Vodafone challenge and, one-day games against either Hampshire, Somerset or Gloucestershire (depending on the outcome of the Benson and Hedges Cup qualifying matches), Worcestershire, ECB XI, Northamptonshire, and either Kent, Lancashire or Warwickshire (depending on the outcome of NatWest trophy qualifying matches).
The highlight of Sri Lanka's tour will be the one-off Test against England at the Oval from August 27-31 and participation in the one-day Triangular tournament featuring host England and South Africa, who are the other tourists during the summer of 1998.
Ever since playing in Sri Lanka's inaugural Test match at the Saravanamuttu Stadium in February 1982, England have been the poor cousins granting Sri Lanka only a further four Tests in the next 15 years.
On three previous Test tours to England (1984, 1988 and 1991) Sri Lanka played their solitary Test match at Lord's.
On the 1998 tour, Sri Lanka will have the opportunity of playing at Lord's on no less than three occasions - a four-day game against Middlesex, a one-day international against England which forms part of the Triangular tournament and, if they qualify, the final of the Triangular tournament.
The tour itinerary : July 8 : Arrival in London, July 12 : v Hampshire at Southampton, Somerset at Taunton, or Gloucestershire at Bristol (1 day), July 14-16 : v Somerset at Taunton (3 days), July 18-20 : v Glamorgan at Cardiff (3 days, to be confirmed), July 22 : v Worcestershire at Worcester (1 day, to be confirmed), July 24-27 : v Leicestershire at Leicester (4 days), July 31-Aug. 3 : v Middlesex at Lord's (4 days), Aug. 5 : v ECB XI at Lakenham (1 day), Aug. 7 : v Northamptonshire at Northampton (1 day), Aug. 9 : v Northamptonshire at Milton Keynes (1 day), Aug. 11 : v Kent at Canterbury, Lancashire at Old Trafford or Warwickshire at Edgbaston (1 day).
(Triangular Tournament) : Aug. 14 : v South Africa at Trent Bridge (Aug 15 reserve day), Aug. 16 : v England at Lord's (Aug. 17 reserve day), Aug. 18 : England v South Africa at Edgbaston (Aug. 19 reserve day), Aug. 20 : Final at Lord's (Aug. 21 reserve day).
Aug. 22-24 : v Hampshire at Southampton (3 days), Aug. 27-31 : one-off Cornhill Test against England at the Oval, Sep. 1 : Departure.