Sri Lanka, who dismissed England for 235 to lead by 96 runs on first innings, collapsed in the final hour, losing four wickets for 13 runs to end day three on 99 for five.

Mahela Jayawardene, the last remaining specialist batsman, was unbeaten on 14 with Chaminda Vaas on six.

Batty triggered the mini-collapse with a sharp turn and throw to run out Kumar Sangakkara for 19.

Marvan Atapattu was stumped for 35 three balls later and Hashan Tillakaratne was adjudged lbw for one as he padded away a straight delivery.

Giles, who earlier had Sanath Jayasuriya caught by Marcus Trescothick at slip for 17, then induced Thilan Samaraweera to edge another juggling catch to the same fielder.

Earlier, Muralitharan finished with figures of seven for 46 from 31.4 mesmerising overs, the 39th time in 83 tests the off spinner has taken five wickets in an innings.

Mark Butcher, dropped twice in the first hour, top-scored for England with a four-hour 51, and tail-enders Giles (18) and Richard Johnson (26) helped add 52 runs for the last two wickets with a few lusty blows.

The visitors had started the morning well enough, Butcher and Graham Thorpe extending their fourth-wicket partnership to 79 as Sri Lanka squandered chances.

Muralitharan missed a straightforward head-high return catch when Butcher had made 18.

Moments later, Thorpe, on 29, squirted a catch to Thilan Samaraweera at slip but umpire Darryl Harper ruled not out.

Next over, Sangakkara, who had an untidy morning behind the stumps, could not hold on to a thick edge from an attempted cut from Butcher.

Tillakaratne turned to Vaas, who trapped Thorpe lbw for 43 with a reverse swinging delivery.

Paul Collingwood (one) lasted 10 balls before being deceived by Muralitharan's top spinner and edging to slip, where Jayasuriya took a sharp one-handed catch.

Andrew Flintoff (one) was them trapped lbw as he went back to an off break and Chris Read (0) prodded a bat-pad catch to Tillakaratne at silly point.

After lunch, Butcher finally reached his 16th test fifty off his 200th delivery before being caught at the wicket off Jayasuriya.

Batty slog-swept a six but was then caught at leg slip off Kumar Dharmasena, but Giles and Johnson raised the spirits of the Barmy Army, smacking two sixes each before falling to catches in the deep.

Sri Lanka first innings 331 (K.Sangakkara 71)

England first innings:

M.Trescothick c Sangakkara b Muralitharan 23
M.Vaughan b Muralitharan 24
M.Butcher c Sangakkara b Jayasuriya 51
G.Thorpe lbw Vaas 43
P.Collingwood c Jayasuriya b Muralitharan 1
A.Flintoff lbw Muralitharan 1
C.Read c Tillakaratne b Muralitharan 0
G.Batty c Jayasuriya b Dharmasena 14
A.Giles c Atapattu b Muralitharan 18
R.Johnson c Atapattu b Muralitharan 26
M.Hoggard not out 6

Extras (b-12, lb-8, nb-8) 28
Total (all out, 100.4 overs) 235

Fall of wickets: 1-56 2-67 3-142 4-143 5-151 6-155 7-177 8-183 9-208

Bowling: Vaas 12-2-25-1 (5nb), Fernando 3-1-21-0 (1nb), Dharmasena 24-6-55-1 (1nb), Muralitharan 31.4-15-46-7, Chandana 13-2-24-0, Jayasuriya 17-2-44-1 (1nb)

Sri Lanka second innings:

M.Atapattu st Read b Batty 35
S.Jayasuriya c Trescothick b Giles 17
K.Sangakkara run out 19
M.Jayawardene not out 14
H.Tillakaratne lbw Batty 1
T.Samaraweera c Trescothick b Giles 1
C.Vaas not out 6

Extras (6-lb) 6
Total (for five wickets, 44.3 overs) 99

Fall of wickets: 1-26 2-72 3-72 4-78 5-85

Still to bat: U Chandana, K Dharmasena, D Fernando, M Muralitharan

Bowling: Hoggard 6-1-24-0, Johnson 2-1-6-0, Flintoff 3-1-9-0, Giles 19-8-24-2, Batty 13.3-4-28-2. Vaughan 1-0-2-0