Joe Root carried his team's batting on his shoulders yet again as he became the first England batsman to score over 150 in consecutive Tests in 16 years.
The England captain took his side to 339-9 in their first innings at the close of play on day three of the second and final Test against Sri Lanka in Galle on Sunday.
However, the tired and cramping England captain was dismissed in the final over of the day for 186, run out after clipping the ball to short leg Oshada Fernando.
England still trail by 42 runs and will seek to wipe out the deficit with Jack Leach and Stuart Broad at the crease on the fourth morning. Sri Lanka spinner Lasith Embuldeniya was the main man for the hosts, with career best figures of 7-132.
Root followed up his 228 in the first Test to match the feat of Marcus Trescothick, who scored 194 and 151 in consecutive matches against Bangladesh in 2005.
Root's innings was again built around the impressive use of the sweep shot. He had failed to score a Test century in 2020, the first time in his career he went a calendar year without a ton, and his return to form will be welcome as England head into four Tests in India straight after this series.
The tourists resumed the day on 98-2 having lost their openers cheaply for the third time in as many innings in this series.
Jonny Bairstow never looked settled and fell on 28, an inside edge onto his pad off the dangerous Embuldeniya looping to Fernando at short leg.
Dan Lawrence was impressive on his debut in England’s seven-wicket win in the first game but made just three as he edged Embuldeniya to Lahiru Thirimanne at slip.
At 132-4, England were teetering, but Root and Jos Buttler (55) steadied the ship with a fifth-wicket stand of 97 before the latter tried a reverse sweep that went straight into his boot and bounced to short leg, providing a first Test wicket for debutant spinner Ramesh Mendis.
Sam Curran (13) was out in the final over of the afternoon session, caught at slip, before Dom Bess (32) put on a vital 81 with Root for the seventh wicket.
