Cricket: England comfortably secured the draw required to keep the Investec Series alive with a fifth-day rearguard at the SSC.
Rain prevented any play after tea but Michael Vaughan's team had already warded off any chance of defeat by reaching the second interval on 250 for three - a lead of 53 runs.
Despite losing two wickets in the first hour of the afternoon session - Alastair Cook to the first ball after lunch and Ian Bell needlessly caught at long-on - which left them seven runs ahead with seven wickets in hand, time and the weather were on England's side.
The tourists now head to Galle for the third Test hoping to level things at 1-1.
All of England's top three made half-centuries but once again none of them turned starts into hundreds.
Captain Vaughan followed his first innings 87 with a stylish 61, which was terminated by a chipped return catch to Dilhara Fernando.
Once again he shared a century stand with Cook - the first time an English opening pair have managed two in a Test since Geoff Boycott and John Edrich against Australia in 1970-71.
Their efforts meant England - who resumed on 48 without loss - were in credit in mid-afternoon.
Vaughan tucked regular boundaries off Lasith Malinga first thing this morning and reached his landmark off 81 deliveries.
The tourists were clearly intent on a positive approach to staving off defeat as left-hander Cook hooked the first ball of the day from Malinga confidently to long leg.
He then twice drilled Chaminda Vaas through the covers for four as Sri Lanka captain Mahela Jayawardene rotated his attack in search of a breakthrough.
Fast bowler Fernando provided it when, having already induced a false stroke from Vaughan with a slower ball which lobbed over mid-off for four, another subtle variation in pace accounted for the England captain.
Essex's Cook brought up his 50 shortly after a 20-minute stoppage for rain while Bell began with some confident strokes on a fifth day expected to be hit thundery showers.
World record holder Muttiah Muralitharan was expected to be the main threat and switched ends in a bid to add to his five-wicket haul in the first innings.
But it was occasional leg-spinner Chamara Silva who gained the second breakthrough after the interval when Cook lurched forward and the ball spun out of the rough to take the edge.
Even then Bell and Kevin Pietersen progressed at a decent rate to get their side into the lead.
Twenty-five-year-old Bell backed to the leg-side to regularly cut Murali off his stumps and twice hammered Silva for pulled fours in registering his third 50 of the series.
But an indiscreet shot moments later against Murali gave the Sri Lankans hope as he picked out the lanky Michael Vandort at long-on.
However, Pietersen reached the second interval unbeaten on 45, including a savage pulled six off Silva, and Paul Collingwood was 23 not out as dark clouds descended on the ground.