Jack Leach ended the day with figures of 4-73 off 23.2 overs
Image courtesy of: ESPNcricinfo
Jack Leach took a four-wicket haul to leave England three wickets away from victory heading into the final day of the second Test against Sri Lanka in Kandy.
Starting off the day on 324/9, England added 22 runs to their score before they were bowled out for 346 when James Anderson was clean bowled by Dilruwan Perera for 12.
Ben Foakes was left stranded on 65, which came off 119 balls and included four boundaries and two sixes, as Sri Lanka were set 301 to win.
Akila Dananjaya was the pick of the bowlers with six wickets, while Dilruwan snapped up three and Malinda Pushpakumara chipped in with one.
Chasing 301 to win, Sri Lanka got off to a horrible start as opener Kaushal Silva was stumped by Foakes off the bowling of Leach for four runs.
Leach then removed Dhananjaya de Silva and Kusal Mendis in quick succession to leave Sri Lanka in a spot of bother at 26/3.
Dimuth Karunaratne and Angelo Mathews stabilised the innings with a 77-run partnership before Karunaratne was caught behind off the bowling of Adil Rashid for 57, which came off 96 balls and included four boundaries.
Dimuth Karunaratne scored his 19th Test fifty
Image courtesy of: ESPNcricinfo
Mathews and Roshen Silva kept the runs flowing with a 73-run stand before Silva was sent packing by Moeen Ali for 37.
Mathews went on to score a 137-ball 88, which included six boundaries, before he was trapped lbw off the bowling of Moeen.
Angelo Mathews struck his 32nd half-century in Test cricket
Image courtesy of: ESPNcricinfo
Dilruwan was the next to go for two runs, but as soon as he was dismissed, the rain came.
Since it refused to relent, stumps was called.
As a result, Niroshan Dickwella was left unbeaten on 27, which came off 30 balls and included three boundaries.
Leach was the most successful bowler with four wickets, while Moeen took two and Rashid claimed one.
Sri Lanka ended day four on 226/7 and will continue batting on Sunday at 09:45 local time or 04:15 GMT.