England had Sri Lanka wobbling again at 100-3 in its second innings before Mathews and Silva combined for an 82-run partnership for the fourth wicket.
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He looked poised to become the first Englishman to make an global century in all three forms of the game before he swung hard at the part-time left-arm spin of Milinda Siriwardana and was brilliantly caught at slip by Sri Lanka captain Angelo Mathews.
The tourists are still 235 runs behind England’s first innings of 498-9 declared.
It was a 14th catch of the series for Jonny Baristow and the England record for a three-match series, of 17 held by Geraint Jones against Sri Lanka 2006, was hurrying into view.
Sri Lanka began their second innings much better, and reached lunch on 58 for the loss of one wicket to give a much better account of themselves the second time around.
Sri Lanka’s batsmen presented a new air of determination from the outset, and relative serenity by mid-evening – compared with those earlier collapses – but it was still nearly certain to eventually prove too little too late to stop England taking an unassailable 2-0 lead.
Then his opening partner also missed out on a piece of history, recording a second successive score in the 80s but failing to convert to three figures – a feat which would have made him the first from his country to complete centuries in each global format.
If so, this was finally a case of mission accomplished for Sri Lanka.
But Sunday’s second-innings effort – something badly needed for their own morale and that of all those who want to see competitive Test cricket – kept them in this match. “That’s a good head space to get into”. Immediately after lunch, Kusal Mendis, young and a promising part of Mathews’s rebuilding, was undone by a fine ball from Anderson, who having been hit for three chastening fours in five balls, found the edge as if it was part of the masterplan.
Cook looked set before he edged a wide delivery from Suranga Lakmal outside the off stump to be being caught at slip by Dimuth Karunaratne with England at 39-1.
Even Root could reproach himself for a poor shot, offering a simple catch to cover as he attempted to work a short ball from Pradeep to leg.
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Silva (57 not out) did his bit with a 111-ball 50, completed with a leg-glance off Steven Finn for his sixth boundary as he and Angelo Mathews closed out the afternoon in an unbroken half-century stand. It will turn and it’s good for the batsmen. But Anderson had the last roar in this same over by having Mendis caught behind. But Chandimal and Siriwardana, showing admirable composure for someone coming to the crease on a pair, saw them to stumps.
