Roshen Silva hit a resolute 85 to frustrate England and give Sri Lanka a lead of 46 on day two of an evenly poised second Test in Pallekele.
Resuming on 26-1, Dimuth Karunaratne and Dhananjaya de Silva made half-centuries before England reduced the hosts to 165-6 shortly after lunch.
But Roshen negated England’s spinners and forged four defiant lower-order partnerships to take Sri Lanka to 336.
Night-watchman Jack Leach played out the last over as England closed on 0-0.
England’s four spinners took nine wickets between them, with the other dismissal via a magnificent Ben Stokes run-out, meaning this is the first time since 1974 an England seamer failed to take a wicket in the first innings.
The tourists were awarded five penalty runs during Sri Lanka’s innings after Roshen was deemed to have deliberately run short. They were added to their first-innings 285.
On a testing pitch that is still producing sharp turn, England will have to bat with the concentration and determination Sri Lanka showed to post a challenging fourth-innings target.
England lead the three-match series 1-0 and are looking for their first away series win under captain Joe Root.
-BBC
