Prasanna Jayawardene struck a century on his first Test appearance in England to put Sri Lanka on top at Cardiff.
Sri Lanka post 400 before Strauss falls late on day two
Sri Lanka wicketkeeper Prasanna Jayawardene struck a century on his first Test appearance in England to put the tourists in a strong position on day two at Cardiff.
The well-organised right-hander made a valuable 112 to add to half-centuries from Tharanga Paranavitana (66), Tillakaratne Dilshan (50) and Thilan Samaraweera (58) as Sri Lanka were eventually dismissed for 400 in the evening session.
England, who were unable to call upon strike paceman James Anderson (3-66) for large periods of the day due to a back injury, then had a tricky 20-over spell to negotiate before the close.
Openers Andrew Strauss and Alastair Cook looked certain to come through the day unscathed, however Test rookie Suranga Lakmal removed the England skipper in the final over to cap an impressive day for the tourists.
Accurate
England's bowlers started brightly with back-to-back maiden overs from Anderson and Stuart Broad, both of whom beat the outside edge of Paranavitana and Mahela Jayawardene at regular intervals.
Their reward for an accurate opening burst came in the third over when Anderson shaped the ball into Jayawardene, who could only edge through to a diving Strauss at first slip.
While Jayawardene failed to add to his overnight score of four, left-hander Paranavitana added only eight more before Chris Tremlett (1-81) ended his resilient stay.
There had been a few raised eyebrows when wicketkeeper Prasanna was selected to bat at number six in the tourists' line-up but he produced an innings of calm authority.
He and Samaraweera (58) saw the tourists to lunch on 207-4 before the latter edged Anderson to Graeme Swann at the end of the first over with the new ball.
England's efforts were hampered by Anderson, the pick of their bowlers on day two, being off the field for treatment on stiffness in his back and side.
The Lancashire paceman was off the field for a handful of overs in the afternoon but could only manage one over upon the resumption of play after tea before leaving the field again, and he will undergo a scan on Friday night with the results to be known in the morning.
England got the luck their efforts perhaps deserved when Farveez Maharoof (25) was run out as a straight drive from Prasanna was deflected onto the stumps by bowler Jonathan Trott.
But Sri Lanka were able to reach tea without further loss on 316-6, with Prasanna and debutant Thilan Perera well set.
Fortune
Both men were dropped by Cook off one Broad over, however Perera (25) became the first man to go in the day's final session when he lost patience and gifted the Nottinghamshire man his 100th Test wicket by chipping tamely to Tremlett at mid-on.
Swann then saw his leg before appeal against new batsman Rangana Herath rejected before Jayawardene came close to perishing within sight of his hundred on 89.
Swann found the edge but Andrew Strauss could not hang on, and Jayawardene used his good fortune to hit the spinner through extra cover before taking three off Tremlett to reach three figures.
Herath then survived an appeal off Tremlett as replays failed to confirm if Strauss had held a low catch, but he went for 25 by giving Swann his second wicket as Trott held a low catch in the cover.
Jayawardene (112) quickly followed when Prior pouched low off Broad, and Swann (3-78) got his third wicket when the newly-appointed Twenty20 skipper dived to his left to hang on to a powerful hit from Lakmal (2).
England started well in reply, with Strauss and Cook taking the score along to 47-0 with no alarm.
But, in the last over of the day, seamer Lakmal angled a ball across the England skipper, allowing Mahela Jayawardene to claim yet another slip catch and send Strauss on his way for 20.
