A method using a matched asymptotic expansions technique is presented for obtaining the Stokes flow solution for a rigid spherical body of radius a rotating uniformly about a diameter parallel to a fixed plane wall when the minimum clearance εa is very much smaller than a. An inner solution is constructed which is valid for the region in the neighbourhood of the nearest points of the sphere and the wall where the flow is strongly sheared with large velocity gradients and pressure; in this region the leading term of the asymptotic expansion of the solution satisfies the equations of lubrication theory. A matching outer solution is constructed which is valid in the remainder of the fluid where the flow is weakly sheared and it is possible to assume ε = 0. The forces and couples acting on the sphere and the wall are shown to be of the form (α0+α1ε) log ε+β0+0(ε, where α0, α1 and β0 are constants which have been determined explicitly. By use of these results it is shown that the problem when the sphere rolls on the wall is not well posed.