Off-spinner Graeme Swann grabbed four wickets to leave a rejuvenated England on the brink of a series-levelling win in the second and final Test against Sri Lanka in Colombo on Friday.

Sri Lanka, trailing by 185 runs on the first innings, ended the fourth day’s play at 218-6 in their second knock, a lead of 33 runs with only four wickets in hand on a wearing P. Sara Oval pitch.

Skipper Mahela Jayawardene stood in England’s way with an unbeaten 55, showing the form that has already fetched him two centuries in the series, including one in the first innings.

Andrew Strauss’ men need a win to draw the series and retain their No.1 Test ranking.

England wicket-keeper Matt Prior said: “Hopefully we’ll be chasing less than 150, but we know we’ve got the ability in the dressing room to chase down anything.

“But first and foremost we have to take the four wickets.”

Prior said it was more important to make it 1-1 in the series than think about the rankings.

“Every bloke wants to be part of the best team in the world and we want to prove that we are the best,” he said.

“We want to win this Test because we want to win every Test we play, not because it counts in our rankings.”

Sri Lanka’s Tillakaratne Dilshan refused to write off his team’s chances.

“If we bat out the first session, there is a good chance we may win it,” said Dilshan. “If we can set a target of around 150, we believe we can win.

“It’s not an easy wicket to bat on. It has turn and bounce and we have some very good spinners in our side.”

The tourists were hoping for a swift closure when Swann grabbed the key wickets of Dilshan and Kumar Sangakkara in the post-lunch session.

But Thilan Samaraweera (47) and Jayawardene kept the England attack at bay – even for nine overs with the second new ball – during a 90-run partnership for the fifth wicket.

Swann, coming on two overs before stumps, bowled Samaraweera with his first delivery and Suraj Randiv with the third to pin Sri Lanka against the ropes.

If England fail to win, they will rue a dropped catch off Jayawardene by Tim Bresnan at mid-on off Samit Patel when the batsman was on 20 and the hosts were still 46 runs behind.

Dilshan was unfortunate to be given out, caught in the slips off Swann as TV replays proved inconclusive whether the ball had gone off the bat.

Third umpire Rod Tucker reviewed Dilshan’s challenge for more than five minutes before upholding on-field official Bruce Oxenford’s decision to give the batsman out.

Dilshan, who made 35, has now gone 21 innings without a Test century since plundering 193 against England at Lord’s in June last year.

Later in the same over, Swann appealed for leg-before against Sangakkara, which Oxenford turned down.

This time it was England’s turn to lose the review even though the ball clipped the off-bail.

But Sangakkara did not last long as he edged Swann to Prior after making 21, with Sri Lanka still 61 runs in arrears.

The left-hander, who had been dismissed first ball in two of the three previous innings, finished the series with a dismal average of 8.75.