Late reminder offered by Dernbach

Graham Onions also did enough on day two of four for the Lions to remain in the frame as the 12th man in a squad which will be named tomorrow.

But a mid-afternoon burst by change bowlers Dernbach (5-44) and Yorkshire’s Ajmal Shahzad – the favourite for Cardiff – was the eye-catcher in England’s attempts, interrupted by rain and bad light, to press home the advantage established by Eoin Morgan (193) and Samit Patel (119) in a total of 493-8 declared.

Sri Lanka collapsed from 59-0 to 97-6 but relocated their mettle – thanks largely to Suraj Randiv (76no) – to muster 266 all out.

Steven Finn and Onions drew a blank for almost 15 overs with the new ball either side of lunch, until the Durham fast bowler had Tharanga Paranavitana leg before with some full length-swing.

Onions would have had Tillakaratne Dilshan for eight had Patel held a routine catch before lunch.

Instead, he had to be patient through a half-century opening stand before he got his first reward.

Finn’s spell was principally notable for words exchanged with Dilshan in an over which saw the Sri Lanka captain pull two fours and steer another wide of the slips.

But a double change and the arrival of mediocre light under heavy cloud cover saw Shahzad strike in his first over, Dilshan edging an attempted drive to slip, and then Dernbach in his second when Mahela Jayawardene failed to get his bat out of the way and edged to Patel in the cordon.

Kumar Sangakkara fell to a very good catch down the leg side by Yorkshire wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow off his county colleague Shahzad.

Dernbach still had power to add, finding extra bounce to have Dinesh Chandimal well caught high at second slip by Jimmy Adams and then Prasanna Jayawardene edging to first for a golden duck.

England’s progress stalled significantly thereafter, though, as Samaraweera and then Randiv and Thisara Perera posted successive half-century stands.

The returning Onions did finally have Samaraweera edging a drive behind, but otherwise the Lions were tamed until Perera holed out attempting another big hit to reach his half-century, from Patel’s first delivery.

Then in the final over of the day, Dernbach took two in two again – bowling tailenders Dilhara Fernando and Nuwan Pradeep.

Morgan and Patel had earlier taken their partnership, already a ground record for the fifth wicket, to 266 until the latter was bowled by Dilhara Fernando.

Patel departed with 18 fours to his name from 156 balls, and Morgan was joined briefly by Bairstow until he chipped a straightforward catch off Perera to mid-on where Fernando held on.

After Perera then made Morgan his third and final wicket, leg before pushing forward, having hit 30 fours and five sixes from 226 balls, there was still time first for Shahzad to club a quick, unbeaten 20 before he and his fellow pace hopefuls set out to impress Test selectors gathered on site.