Joe Root seized the moment with a perfectly-timed century in Kandy that put England in charge of an intriguing second cricket Test against Sri Lanka.
Root made 124 in 146 balls as the tourists banished expectations of an embattled second innings to finish day three in Kandy with a sizeable lead of 278.
It was the captain's 15th Test century and fourth on foreign soil, with 10 fours and two sixes providing the enterprising anchor in England's 9-324.
To reach that score they had to commit to a game plan based on a bloody-minded willingness to sweep and reverse sweep as often as possible on a spinning pitch.
Each of the first seven wickets to fall came from variations of the sweep stroke and there were six lbws but despite occasional moments of deja-vu, there was an admirable quality to their collective commitment.
It is hard to argue an alternate approach would have left them in a stronger position than the one they closed on.
Root aside, England owed much to Rory Burns (59) and Ben Foakes, who is unbeaten on 51.
The former set the tone with a maiden and assured half-century that belied his inexperience at this level, while his Surrey teammate added vital late runs that will provide his bowlers with a welcome comfort blanket on day four.
Resuming with a 46-run deficit to clear England lost nightwatchman Jack Leach in the second over of the day.
What followed was a positively serene stand of 73 between Burns and Keaton Jennings, though the latter would have breathed a sigh of relief at the curious decision not to test his frailties against seam.
England were in front by 31 when Jennings' favourite stroke let him down on 26, as he edged a reverse sweep to slip.
His was the first in a sequence of three wickets for 32 runs before lunch as Burns and Ben Stokes (0) were both out after mistiming sweeps.
Starting the afternoon session four down with a fragile 85-run lead Root proceeded to make his move.
With 26 to his name already he added 50 at exactly a run-a-ball in the next hour, forcing opposite number Suranga Lakmal into some defensive field placings then ruthlessly punching holes in them.
Jos Buttler joined him in a stand of 74, England's best of the match, but paid the price for failing to bail out of a premeditated reverse sweep.
Root saw England past the 300 mark before he was the latest lbw victim, mistiming a reverse sweep against Akila Dananjaya and struck in line with the stumps.
Dananjaya emerged with figures of 6-106 from 23 overs, but in among his wicket-taking deliveries he offered up plenty of cheap runs.
