Vaughan, who hit a fluent 52 in the first innings, followed up with an unbeaten 50 as the tourists took bad light at 89 for two, 12 overs shy of the day's allocation of 103.

The Yorkshire batsman struck six boundaries in all, after losing opening partner Marcus Trescothick early at the Asgiriya Stadium.

Set an improbable 368 runs for victory, Somerset left-hander Trescothick slashed a wide ball from Chaminda Vaas to second slip where Mahela Jayawardene took the catch, moving to his left.

Never before in Test history have they achieved such a total to win and realistically began their second innings facing the prospect of surviving a minimum 138 overs, weather permitting, to keep the series level.

They were unlucky when Mark Butcher was given out stumped for the second time in the contest, this time a borderline adjudication by third umpire Peter Manuel.

Nasser Hussain survived a confident leg before appeal to Muttiah Muralitharan on his first ball, although it appeared to be on its way to hitting middle stump, to close unbeaten on 17.

The fact the tourists were faced with attempting to repeat the tense battle for a draw in Galle was down to Tillekeratne Dilshan striking the first century of the series.

Dilshan, recalled for the first time in Test cricket since England toured here three winters ago, followed his top-score 63 in the first innings with exactly 100 as Sri Lanka declared on 279 for seven shortly before tea.

He dominated a fourth-wicket stand of 153, forged in 39 overs, with Mahela Jayawardene, before departing two balls after registering his second ton at the highest level.

Having brought up his landmark from his 127th delivery, when he flicked an Andrew Flintoff delivery down the leg side for a single, Dilshan charged off-spinner Gareth Batty and was stumped.

Jayawardene, whose half-century came at a much slower tempo, soon followed, as a full Flintoff delivery shaped through the right-hander's gate to knock back off stump.

Their stand allowed the middle order to throw the bat with confidence, however, and the hosts scored at a run-a-ball for 11 overs, losing captain Hashan Tillekeratne and Vaas to catches in the outfield along the way.

Vaughan's men had begun the day promisingly with two wickets in the opening four overs as Sri Lanka, who surprisingly chose to go off for bad light last night with one hour left to play, struggled in the additional half-hour added to make up the lost time.

Kumar Sangakkara survived a confident appeal for a caught behind in James Kirtley's opening over of the day - television technology showed he had nicked the ball - before the out-of-touch Sanath Jayasuriya gained a similar inside-edge which up-rooted his off stump.

Then, after conceding 12 runs to the first four balls of the next over, Ashley Giles claimed his 15th wicket of the series.

A ball of bounce and turn looped off the glove of the left-handed Sangakkara and Paul Collingwood dived forward to hold a good catch low down at short leg.

Thereafter Dilshan and Jayawardene took control and gave Sri Lanka the solid platform to build a formidable second innings lead.

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