Tillakaratne played down the warning received by Sangakkara

Tillakaratne waited until tea on the fourth day to declare with the the home side 367 runs ahead - far more than they really needed.

"I thought four sessions were more than enough to get them out," he said.

"We played very good cricket throughout but England played very well to save the Test match.

"We were unfortunate not to finish them off."

I will make sure our boys behave very well during the next Test match Hashan Tillakaratne

Tillakaratne paid tribute to opposite number Michael Vaughan, whose century formed the backbone of England's resistance.

"He played very well under pressure and set an example for all the cricketers in the world," he said of the England skipper.

"We thought we had a good chance of winning when Vaughan was dismissed. In such situations it's just a matter of a couple of wickets that can change the result."

Tillakaratne was unconcerned by the warning given to Kumar Sangakkara by the umpires for excessive appealing, although he conceded the wicket-keeper may be puniched.

"It's up to the match referee to decide but I don't think that will be a major issue," he went on.

"I will make sure our boys behave very well during the next Test match."

The veteran batsman does not expect many changes to the home side's line-up for the final match of the series

"It's disappointing not to win the match but the positive point for us is that we're playing well as a team," he added.

"It was a brilliant Test match and we're looking forward to the next Test match."