Dunith Wellalage took three wickets after captain Kusal Mendis hit a fine century as Sri Lanka beat England by 16 runs at Headingley on Thursday to level a three-match one-day international series at 1-1.
England were seemingly cruising to a target of 322 as Tom Banton (73) and Ben Duckett (67) shared a first-wicket stand of 143.
Sri Lanka had been hammered 3-0 in a preceding T20 series but Wellalage dragged them back into this match. He removed both openers and home captain Harry Brook to reduce England to 157-3. The left-arm spinner finished with figures of 3-49
England's Jos Buttler then threatened to win the game by himself with a barrage of boundaries.
But on 64 he pulled up with what a team spokesman later said was a "left hamstring twinge" and retired hurt,with England still requiring 68 off 75 balls for victory. Rehan Ahmed immediately fell for a duck, caught down the legside by wicketkeeper Mendis off Dilshan Madushanka.
The runs dried up as Sri Lanka's previously wayward quicks gaining reverse swing with the old ball.
When Jamie Overton holed out, a hobbling Buttler resumed his innings with England 295-7 and needing 27 runs off 14 balls.
Will Jacks drove Asitha Fernando for six to complete a 59-ball fifty following his unbeaten 46 in a player-of-the-match performance during England's 89-run win in Tuesday's series opener at Chester-le-Street.
But Jacks (52) then skyed Eshan Malinga to long-on.
Buttler was on strike at the start of the last over, with England needing 19 to win.
He connected well off Madushanka but the ball flew straight to deep midwicket and Buttler was gone for good on 69.
Kamindu Mendis saved what seemed a certain six by Jofra Archer to leave England with an impossible target off 17 off two balls.
Without Wellalage, the game would not have gone the distance.
He bowled Duckett with a sharply turning delivery and had the charging Banton stumped by Mendis.
Wellalage then pinned the in-form Brook lbw for just one
Mendis's decision to persist with the previously expensive Sachindu Colombage, appearing in just his second ODI, was rewarded when the leg-spinner had Joe Root caught at short cover for just 15.
Buttler completed a 36-ball fifty with a flicked six off Colombage and struck the next delivery high over long-off for another six.
Earlier, Mendis led from the front with a superb 121 in Sri Lanka's 321-6 after winning the toss.
With Kamindu Mendis (54), he shared a second-wicket partnership of 137.
Kusal had a reprieve on 17 when Atkinson dropped a two-handed catch in a swirling breeze at fine leg.
Kusal, having reviewed successfully on 99, reached his seventh ODI century in style when he cover-drove Overton to the boundary for an 82-ball hundred, including 12 fours and three sixes before he holed out to leg-spinner Ahmed.
The teams head to the Oval for a series-decider on Sunday.