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Colombo: England took two late wickets to seize the initiative after a Mahela Jayawardene century had rescued Sri Lanka on day one of the second Test.
James Anderson (3-52) took three wickets from his first five overs to leave the home team reeling on 30-3.
Jayawardene (105) and Thilan Samaraweera (54) then fought back with a patient 124-run stand in Colombo.
But Graeme Swann removed the centurion, with Steven Finn dismissing Prasanna Jayawardene to leave the hosts 238-6.
England went into the final match of a disappointing winter under pressure, with captain Andrew Strauss's position being questioned. They must win the game to stay at the top of the Test world rankings ahead of South Africa.
Jayawardene, who again came to the crease with Anderson on a hat-trick, doggedly resisted the visitors' bowling for most of the day, but his team are in a vulnerable position despite his second successive first-innings ton.
Anderson's early efforts were in danger of being wasted as Sri Lanka began to grind Strauss's side down, but the two wickets in the evening session wrestled back the momentum.
Signs of stress had been showing early in the afternoon when team director Andy Flower went into the match referee's room to remonstrate after Samaraweera was given not out - both by on-field umpire Asad Rauf and by the third umpire after England called for a review - when the tourists appealed for a catch at short leg off Finn.
England's accuracy would reap its rewards later in the day though, however Angelo Mathews is standing firm on 41 not out.
Strauss had opted to replace the injured Stuart Broad with Finn, while Tim Bresnan replaced Monty Panesar's left-arm spin.
England's spearhead though was Anderson, who was on world-class form again, finding movement both ways through the air.
Anderson had to contend with a typically attack-minded Tillakaratne Dilshan at the start of the day with the opener striking consecutive driven fours from full deliveries.
But the England fast bowler persisted with his plan of pitching the ball up and, with the next delivery, moved one away, which Dilshan nicked to Matt Prior.
He then accounted for danger man Kumar Sangakkara, whose miserable series continued with another golden duck, edging to Strauss, who juggled but held on.
And, when Anderson trapped Lahiru Thirimanne lbw, Sri Lanka were reeling.
It was left to Jayawardene to mastermind another re-building operation with the gritty Samaraweera in support.
The two batsmen ploughed on until just before tea, when Bresnan made the breakthrough, trapping Samaraweera lbw.
Anderson was agonisingly close to striking again when he drew an outside edge from Jayawardene, on 79, but the chance eluded Strauss at slip.
England's commitment to the task in hand finally yielded their late wickets. Swann eventually removed in-form Jayawardene, coming round the wicket to trap him lbw, then Finn forced Prasanna Jayawardene to edge behind and leave England on top.
Brief scores
Sri Lanka 238 for 6 (Jayawardene 105, Samaraweera 54, Anderson 3-52)
