Dilhara Fernando was 33 not out and Chanaka Welegedara seven not out.
When the players came off, England fast bowler Chris Tremlett had taken a Test-best six for 42 in the first Test ever staged at the Rose Bowl, the ground where, until his move to Surrey last season, he played for Hampshire. After the morning session had been lost to rain Sri Lanka, resuming on 81 for four, lost wickets consistently through the afternoon and had problems with Tremlett's pace and steep bounce on a sporting pitch.
Wicketkeeper and No. 6 batsman Prasanna Jayawardene made an impressive 43 and was the only player to look assured all the way through his innings while tail-ender Dilhara Fernando counter-attacked for an unbeaten 33 off 41 balls.
The combination of England's dominance and the many weather interruptions with only 38 overs possible on day one, are thwarting Sri Lanka's chances of achieving the win they need to draw the series.
Thilan Samaraweera fell to the 12th ball of the day for 31 in what turned out to an eventful over from Tremlett.
First the batsman was struck a painful blow on the right glove, which caused a brief delay as he received treatment. He then scored two runs through midwicket to register the 50 stand with Jayawardene, before his dismissal.
Samaraweera was undone by a rare Tremlett delivery that was pitched up just outside of his off stump and he pushed tentatively to offer Kevin Pietersen a comfortable catch in the gully.
Thisara Perera (2), recalled for fellow all-rounder Farveez Maharoof, failed to justify his promotion in the batting order with an ugly, short-lived innings.
The left-handed number seven ignored his team's perilous situation and tried to slog Tremlett several times, but managed only a faint edge to wicketkeeper Matt Prior off his sixth ball.
Jayawardene continued to ignore the struggle at the other end and played some elegant strokes, such as the on-drive through midwicket for four off James Anderson and a cover driven three in the same over.
Even when England scattered their close-in fielders for him and placed two men back for the hook shot, he took them on with success, cracking Stuart Broad's bouncer over deep backward square-leg for four.
Rangana Herath played another counter-attacking innings and was slightly more successful than Perera with 12 from 15 balls, until he hooked Tremlett to Anderson at fine leg.
Jayawardene was eventually the eighth man out when he swept off-psinner Graeme Swann to deep mid-wicket.
Tremlett, who also had Suranga Lakmal caught behind off his first ball, may yet better his first-class career best of six for 44.
England won the first Test in Cardiff and drew the second at Lord's.
In Kingston, Jamaica, world champions India were trumped by half-centuries from Darren Bravo and Ramnaresh Sarwan that guided West Indies to a second consolation victory in the final One-day International on Thursday.
The Indian bowlers conceded 96 inside the last 10.4 overs, as West Indies, in pursuit of 252 for victory, hit the jackpot with 14 balls remaining.
India appeared to be in control of the match, despite a career-best 86 from Darren Bravo and 75 retired hurt from Ramnaresh Sarwan.
But they failed to maintain the pressure in the closing overs, and Kieron Pollard formalized the result, when he dragged a delivery from Ishant Sharma through mid-on for four.
"Credit to our bowlers, the way they got us back into the match because at one stage it looked like we would chase something much bigger, but Andre Russell and Kieron Pollard gave us a few key breakthroughs, and it was good to see how we were able to pull things back," said West Indies captain Darren Sammy.
India won the five-match series 3-2, having won the first three ODIs.
