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England were set an improbable 323 to win the first Test after bowling Sri Lanka out for 226 on day four.

But the rain could have a big say on Saturday as the final session lasted just one over, England reaching 4-0.

England have not successfully chased a higher target since 1928, although they reached 315 against Australia at Headingley in 2001.

Mahela Jayawardene scored 86 not out - his best effort for 19 months - to lead the hosts from an overnight 99-5.

Jayawardene put on 46 valuable runs with last man Muttiah Muralitharan, who added 13 to his first-innings 38.

Ashley Giles took four wickets in the second innings gaining his first ever eight-wicket haul.

It will be a big battle but our guys really believe they can get out and do a job Duncan Fletcher Read more

But England's inability to finish the job mirrored their plight in the first innings.

Sri Lanka ground out just 58 runs for the loss of a single wicket in the morning session.

England wanted an early breakthrough badly, but a turgid first 70 minutes in which 24 runs were scored suited the hosts perfectly.

England skipper Michael Vaughan curiously combined pace with spin on the rapidly wearing pitch.

Neither Chaminda Vaas nor Jayawardene were troubled in the early exchanges until Vaas got a stinker of a decision from umpire Venkatraghavan.

Collingwood takes the catch, but Vaas was unlucky to be given out

England's close fielders rose in appeal when Paul Collingwood collected the ball at bat-pad off Giles, but replays showed the left-hander was nowhere near the ball.

The coming of new batsman Upul Chandana prompted Vaughan to go with spin from both ends.

But Chandana took an instant liking to Gareth Batty, hitting the young off-spinner for three boundaries.

Batty was incensed 15 minutes before lunch when Chandana mis-timed a full-blooded drive and was dropped by Richard Johnson at mid-on.

Rain continued to fall during the interval, but play got under way after over an hour was lost in the afternoon session.

Until we learn to shut down sides we will never win the important series - should have been 150 all out From Ivon Jones Have your say on TMS

Giles soon struck, trapping Chandana leg before after the batsman offered no stroke, and there were more gains when the new ball was taken in the 87th over.

The new ball's first delivery saw Kumara Dharmasena trapped plumb in front by Matthew Hoggard, and next over Andrew Flintoff was rewarded for some hard labour with the wicket of Dinusha Fernando.

But in a carbon copy of the first innings, England were unable to finish the job with Jayawardene and Muralitharan scoring at will.

Jayawardene hit expansively and played most of his seven boundaries with Murali, who was finally caught at short-leg off Gareth Batty for 13.

Sri Lanka: ST Jayasuriya, MS Atapattu, DPMD Jayawardene, HP Tillakaratne (capt), KC Sangakkara, TT Samaraweera, HDPK Dharmasena, UDU Chandana, WPUJC Vaas, KADM Fernando, M Muralitharan.