Sri Lanka batsman Mahela Jayawardene scored a patient unbeaten 86 as England were set 323 to win the first Test on Friday.

The hosts, who resumed on the fourth day on 99 for five, were bowled out for 226 after a string of useful partnerships between Jayawardene and the lower order.

England had reached four for no wicket when rain ended the day's play prematurely, with Marcus Trescothick on four and captain Michael Vaughan on nought.

Jayawardene grafted hard for five hours and 11 minutes for his 86 runs from 173 balls, including only two fours.

It was the 26-year-old's highest Test score since his 107 against England in May 2002.

England had pulled themselves back into the game with the new ball, taking three wickets for 17 runs as Sri Lanka collapsed to 180 for nine.

But Muttiah Muralitharan (13) followed his first innings 38 with another useful cameo, helping add 46 vital runs for the last wicket.

Jayawardene had earlier put on 38 for the sixth wicket with Chaminda Vaas (19) and 40 for the seventh with Upul Chandana (19).

Spinner Ashley Giles was England's most successful bowler, taking four for 63 to finish with figures of eight for 132 in the match.

The highest total ever chased in the fourth innings to win a Test match in Sri Lanka was the 326 scored by the hosts to defeat Zimbabwe in 1997-98 at the Sinhalese Sports Club.

Jayawardene and Vaas had made a slow start to the day, facing 20 balls before scoring the first run.

Vaas gave the innings some momentum before a controversial umpiring decision brought England back into the game.

Vaas, pushing forward defensively to Giles, was given out caught at short leg when there was clear daylight between bat and ball.

Jayawardene was nearly run out on 25 after a mix-up with Vaas and came within a whisker of being trapped lbw by Giles on 34.

Chandana adopted a more aggressive approach, stroking three wristy boundaries, and riding his luck as Richard Johnson grassed a head-high catch at deep mid-on.

The miss did not prove costly, however, as Chandana shouldered arms to a straight ball from Giles to end a 40-run stand soon after a two-hour rain interruption.

Vaughan finally turned to the new ball in the 87th over of the innings with instant success, as Matthew Hoggard trapped Kumar Dharmasena plumb lbw with his second ball.

Next over, Andrew Flintoff found the edge of Dinusha Fernando's bat and Trescothick took his third juggling catch of the innings at slip.

But Muralitharan frustrated England again, swiping his second ball over cover and providing Jayawardene with valuable support.

Off spinner Gareth Batty eventually wrapped up the innings moments before a delayed tea when Paul Collingwood clung on to a diving catch at short leg to remove Muralitharan.

Scoreboard

Sri Lanka (1st innings): 331

England (1st innings): 235

Sri Lanka (2nd innings):
M. Atapattu st Read b Batty 35
S. Jayasuriya c Trescothick b Giles 17
K. Sangakkara run out 19
M. Jayawardene not out 86
H. Tillakaratne lbw Batty 1
T. Samaraweera c Trescothick b Giles 1
C. Vaas c Collingwood b Giles 19
U. Chandana lbw Giles 19
K. Dharmasena lbw Hoggard 2
D. Fernando c Trescothick b Flintoff 1
M. Muralitharan c Collingwood b Batty 13

Extras: (b-4, lb-9) 13

Total: (all out, 97.2 overs) 226

Fall of wickets: 1-26, 2-72, 3-72, 4-78, 5-85, 6-123, 7-163, 8-179, 9-180.

Bowling: Hoggard 9-2-33-1, Johnson 7-2-28-0, Flintoff 17-5-32-1, Giles 40-14-63-4, Batty 23.2-7-55-3, Vaughan 1-0-2-0.

England (2nd innings):
M Trescothick batting 4
M Vaughan batting 0

Total: (for no loss, 1 over) 4

Bowling: C Vaas 1-0-4-0.