THE MIRROR (London, UK) 04 October 07 England skipper's snake shock (Dean Wilson)

Dambulla: England captain Paul Collingwood displayed the perfect leadership skills required to succeed in Sri Lanka after being confronted by a monster snake.

Collingwood and three other members of the squad were left stunned by the two-metre long reptile that crossed their path on the way back to the team hotel.

But in an instant the quickmoving feet of Collingwood, Stuart Broad, Ian Bell and Ravi Bopara meant the aggressive snake narrowly failed to sink its fangs into them.

The skipper - possibly inspired by predecessors like Sir Ian Boatham and Mike Adderton - managed to quietly lead his troops past the reptile they believed to be a deadly cobra.

Locals then told the relieved players that they had actually avoided a ratsnake, which is one of the most aggressive snakes in Sri Lanka and whose bite won't kill but requires rapid medical attention.

Collingwood said: "It gave us a bit of a fright, it was about two metres long and we all thought it was a cobra, which wouldn't have been great. It turned out to be something called a rat-snake and it was a bit of surprise for us on the way back to the hotel.

"It is not something you come across every day but it certainly makes life interesting on tour. To be honest, we've all been blown away by the fantastic wildlife we've seen."
England skipper's snake shock

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