LONDON: Sri Lanka lost Kaushal Silva as rain set up a lengthy 47-over final session on the fifth and last day of the third Test against England at Lord's on Monday.
Only 22 balls were possible between lunch and tea after rain washed out Monday's first session, with England 2-0 up in the three-match series.
Sri Lanka resumed on 32 without loss in pursuit of a challenging victory total of 362.
Dimuth Karunaratne was 19 not out and Silva unbeaten on 12.
In overcast conditions, staying at the crease against the England new-ball duo of Stuart Broad and James Anderson was going to be a tough task for Sri Lanka's opening pair, let alone reaching a target that would set a new record for the highest fourth-innings total to win a Test at Lord's, surpassing the West Indies' 344 for one against England in 1984.
Monday's first over saw Silva edge Broad just short of England captain Alastair Cook at first slip.
But Anderson, England's all-time leading Test-wicket taker, struck in the fourth over when Silva (16), padding up after failing to pick an inswinger going against the Lord's slipe, was lbw.
Silva reviewed but to no avail, with Sri Lanka 45 for one.
No sooner had Silva been dismissed than the umpires took the players off the field after just 18 minutes' play, with left-hander Karunaratne 27 not out.
England's first innings 416 was built around Yorkshire wicket-keeper Jonny Bairstow's Test-best 167 not out and 85 from Cook.
Sri Lanka could only manage 288 in reply, despite fifties from Karunaratne and Silva, with all-rounder Chris Woakes taking three for 31.
England's second innings 233 for seven declared saw Alex Hales again fall short of a maiden Test century with 94 -- his third fifty of a series where the Nottinghamshire opener had twice been dismissed in the 80s.
But there was controversy when Hales, then on 58, was bowled by Nuwan Pradeep on Sunday only to be spared by, as it turned out, an incorrectly called front-foot no-ball from Australian umpire Rod Tucker.
The Sri Lanka flag was draped over the tourists' dressing-room balcony for some 45 minutes in protest at Tucker's decision which, under current regulations, could not be overturned.
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