England captain Nasser Hussain will urge his side to confront Sri Lanka head on in the remainder of the Test series, confident they will not over-step the boundaries of accepted behaviour within the laws of cricket.

The tourists' defeat by an innings and 28 runs at Galle in the opening Test last week was marred by accusations of over-zealous appealing from Sri Lanka and persistent running down the pitch as tempers flared in the intense heat.

But as England attempt to draw level in the series with the first of back-to-back Tests starting in Kandy today, Hussain will remind his players to be strong but fair in the remaining ten days of cricket in the series.

He said: ''I'll be telling my side to keep their dignity but play it hard. My team in international cricket over the last two or three years have not let themselves down, they are very professional and know how to handle themselves.

''After what happened in Galle the spotlight is on both teams and we must play the game the right way, but I don't want my team to roll over and lose either.''

Match referee Hanumant Singh has already established his reputation as a disciplinarian by giving Graeme Hick a one-match suspended ban for dissent and fining four of the Sri Lankans for excessive appealing and his patience is likely to be tested to the limit if the same occurs at the Asgiriya Stadium.

That, though, does not mean the resilience which Hussain and coach Duncan Fletcher have introduced into the England ranks will disappear and they intend to confront Sri Lanka at full throttle for the remainder of the tour.

Hussain said: ''I want them to go out and show Sri Lanka that we are here and we mean business. South Africa came out here last year and went 1-0 down and didn't roll over and that's the way I want my team to be.

''I don't want them thinking they shouldn't appeal because they don't want to look bad, I want us to play fair and be Australian-type cricketers in their faces.''

England may be determined not to be intimidated by the Sri Lankans but Hussain will also reiterate the boundaries they are expected to perform within.

''Cricket is only a game and we want to win but we all know the lines we shouldn't cross,'' he said.

''When you cross that line something in your head or your heart tells you that was not quite right.

''We, as a team, have had a lot of hard and good times in the last year or two but this next two weeks will be our hardest challenge and because of that, if we do well it will be our most significant result as well.''

Hussain's theme has been echoed by senior player Graham Thorpe, who admitted: ''The last Test was niggly at times but I wouldn't say the two sides hate each other or anything like that.

''Test match cricket is very competitive with both sides desperate to win and at times you will get players who might get over-excited.

''That's really what the game is all about, with individual characters suffering good and bad times to bring out different sorts of emotions in them.''

England will assess their team after they evaluate the Kandy pitch, which is expected to offer greater bounce and pace than Galle and favour spinners even more, but are unlikely to alter the line-up that lost the opening Test.

Sri Lanka themselves have been told to carry on being aggressive in their appealing in the second Test as they seek to clinch a series victory over England.

In Galle, match referee Hanumant Singh fined Muttiah Muralitharan, Mahela Jayawardene, Russel Arnold and wicketkeeper Kumar Sangakkara and warned captain Sanath Jayasuriya about his future conduct for their excessive appealing and England were unhappy about the persistent running on the pitch.

But despite the referee taking action against them, coach Dav Whatmore believes they have done nothing wrong and will expect his side to continue playing in exactly the same manner.

''This team has done nothing more and nothing less in the time that I've been involved with them,'' said Whatmore.

''I'm very, very keen that they continue in that same vein."