Sanath Jayasuriya smashed a brilliant 131 as Sri Lanka, chasing 352 for a series-levelling victory against Australia, ended day four of the second Test on 301 for seven on Friday.
Jayasuriya, dropped on 25, thrilled a small but vocal crowd with a withering assault that gave the hosts an outside chance of a remarkable win.
The 34-year-old former captain reached his first Test hundred for 17 months off just 107 balls, cracking 17 fours and two sixes during his 145-ball innings.
All-rounder Chaminda Vaas survived till bad light stopped play on 30 with rookie Kaushal Lokuarchchi on 13 not out to leave Sri Lanka needing 51 runs to win on the final day.
Damien Martyn earlier scored a career-best 161 as Australia, who resumed on 320 for five after conceding a 91-run first-innings deficit, were bowled out for 442.
Australia made early inroads with the new ball as both Marvan Atapattu (eight) and Avishka Gunawardene (nine) were trapped lbw to leave Sri Lanka tottering on 36 for two.
Jayasuriya and Kumar Sangakkara launched an aggressive fightback, though, scoring 62 from 82 balls for the third wicket before Sangakkara was caught and bowled by Shane Warne for 29.
Mahela Jayawardene (13) stayed with Jayasuriya for 65 minutes as 76 runs were crashed from 97 balls before he nibbled at a rising delivery from fast bowler Jason Gillespie and was caught behind.
Gillespie, who finished with three for 61, bowled a crucial 10-over spell and was rewarded with the prize scalp of Jayasuriya, who edged a catch to wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist.
DIVING CATCH
Captain Hashan Tillakaratne (seven) added 21 for the sixth wicket with Tillakaratne Dilshan before Australia skipper Ricky Ponting took a diving one-handed catch at silly point.
Minutes before the close Dilshan, Sri Lanka's last specialist batsman, was bowled by a sharp leg break from Warne that clipped the top off his off stump and the spinner finished with figures of three for 83 from 18 overs.
Sri Lanka's highest successful run chase was the 326 they made to defeat Zimbabwe by five wickets in January 1998.
Martyn, dropped three times by Jayawardene, batted for 536 minutes and faced 347 balls during a marathon innings that included 21 fours and one six.
It was his seventh Test hundred and surpassed his previous best of 133 against South Africa at the Wanderers in 2002.
Sri Lanka off spinner Muttiah Muralitharan finished with five for 173 from 50.3 overs, the 42nd five-wicket haul of his Test career.
Andrew Symonds scored 23 before being trapped lbw as he swept an off break from Muralitharan who also dismissed Warne and Gillespie. Michael Kasprowicz hit one straight six before being caught at short cover.
Martyn then set off in pursuit of quick runs, bringing up his 150 with a six off Muralitharan, before he was stumped.
Australia lead the series 1-0 after their 197-run victory in Galle last week.
Scoreboard
Australia (1st innings): 120 (M.Hayden 54; N.Zoysa 4-54, M.Muralitharan 4-48)
Sri Lanka (1st innings): 221 (C.Vaas 68 not out; M.Kasprowicz 4-83, S.Warne 5-65)
Australia (2nd innings): (overnight 320-5)
J.Langer c Sangakkara b Zoysa 9
M.Hayden c & b Vaas 5
A.Gilchrist lbw Muralitharan 144
D.Martyn st Sangakkara b Muralitharan 161
D.Lehmann lbw Vaas 21
R.Ponting c Sangakkara b Vaas 27
A.Symonds lbw Muralitharan 23
S.Warne c Zoysa b Muralitharan 6
J.Gillespie c Atapattu b Muralitharan 11
M.Kasprowicz c Jayawardene b Zoysa 8
S.MacGill not out 17.
Extras: (b-2, lb-7, nb-1) 10.
Total: (all out, 134.3 overs) 442
Fall of wickets: 1-11, 2-26, 3-226, 4-255, 5-304, 6-360, 7-376, 8-393, 9-408
Bowling: Vaas 33-6-103-3 (1-nb), Muralitharan 50.3-8-173-5, Zoysa 33-11-102-2, Lokuarachchi 12-2-33-0, Jayasuriya 5-0-16-0, Dilshan 1-0-6-0.
Sri Lanka (2nd innings):
M.Atapattu lbw Gillespie 8
S.Jayasuriya c Gilchrist c Gillespie 131
A.Gunawardene lbw Kasprowicz 9
K.Sangakkara c & b Warne 29
M.Jayawardene c Gilchrist b Gillespie 13
T.Dilshan b Warne 43
H.Tillakaratne c Ponting b Warne 7
C.Vaas not out 30
K.Lokuarachchi not out 13.
Extras: (b-4, lb-13, nb-1) 18.
Total: (for seven wickets, 67 overs) 301
To bat: N.Zoysa, M.Muralitharan.
Fall of wickets: 1-17, 2-36, 3-98, 4-174, 5-218, 6-239, 7-272.
Bowling: Kasprowicz 17-1-55-1, Gillespie 17-1-61-3, Warne 18-1-83-3, Symonds 3-0-16-0, MacGill 12-0-69-0 (1-nb).
