Alastair Cook was unbeaten on 19 and captain Michael Vaughan was on 28 when bad light stopped play 16 overs early at the Sinhalese Sports Club.
England made 351 in their first innings.
Sri Lanka made 548-9 before declaring their first innings after tea on the fourth day of the second Test against England here on Wednesday with a lead of 197 runs.
Scoreboard of Sri Lanka's first innings on the fourth day of the second cricket Test against England at the Sinhalese Sports Club here on Wednesday:
England 1st innings 351 (A. Cook 81, M. Vaughan 87, P. Collingwood 52, M. Prior 79, M. Muralitharan 5-116)
Sri Lanka 1st innings (overnight 379-4):
M. Vandort lbw b Sidebottom 138
U. Tharanga c Prior b Sidebottom 10
K. Sangakkara c Prior b Sidebottom 1
M. Jayawardene c Collingwood b Panesar 195
C. Silva c Bopara b Harmison 49
J. Mubarak c Bell b Harmison 9
P. Jayawardene c Prior b Harmison 79
C. Vaas c Bell b Broad 4
L. Malinga lbw b Pane