England lost in dramatic circumstances at Headingley as Jos Buttler’s late injury altered the course of a huge run chase against Sri Lanka.Buttler was powering his team towards their 322 target, and series victory, it seemed when he pulled his left hamstring running two, but his exit from the field, when unbeaten on 67, transformed the contest and such was his impairment that there were to be no heroics when he returned to the crease with 27 runs required off 14 balls.England, who had won 13 of 14 internationals since Brendon McCullum was relieved of his Test coaching duties in midsummer, had never knocked off such a score to beat Sri Lanka.There were just 63 required off the final 10 with five wickets intact, but the Sri Lankans have great memories of Leeds, winning a thrilling Test here a dozen years ago and also dealing England a shock defeat in a group stage fixture during the 2019 World Cup.Here, they added another chapter to their history, tigerishly defending a total founded on a seventh one-day international hundred from their captain Kusal Mendis with some outstanding reverse swing bowling.After Gus Atkinson faced 28 boundary-less deliveries and Jamie Overton fell cheaply, an incapacitated Buttler returned to the crease with 27 off 14 required, limping a single to get the set Will Jacks back on strike. An injury to Jos Buttler proved crucial as England fell short of their target of 322 at HeadingleyJacks blasted the final delivery of Asitha Fernando’s excellent spell for a straight six to reach his own half century.But Jacks holed out in the penultimate over and although Buttler swung from the hip in the last, he too failed to clear the fielder in the deep.’Losing a player of Jos’ ability is always going to have an effect. But there are other reasons why we lost as well,’ said England captain Harry Brook.’I had full confidence in us chasing that total down at the halfway stage. There were plenty of areas where we weren’t up to our best.’England were given an electric start thanks to a career-best 73 off 62 balls from Tom Banton and Ben Duckett, who put his poor sequence in Test cricket behind him with 67 off 63.Between them they shared an opening stand of 143, before each succumbing to slow left-armer Dunith Wellalage, who threatened to turn the contest on its head with three wickets in as many overs.When Harry Brook was pinned on the pads by a delivery that was bending its way towards the top of leg stump, England had lost three for 14.From a position of 157 for three, though, Buttler made a tactical decision to demoralise Sachindu Colombage, Sri Lanka’s best bowler on debut in Chester-le-Street 48 hours earlier, hitting two of his five innings sixes in one over when he was invited to switch to the Kirkstall Lane end. Kusal Mendis’ sparkling knock of 121 propelled the tourists to 321-6 from their 50 oversMendis retained his faith in Colombage, however, and was rewarded when Joe Root departed for a rare failure, picking out short extra cover.Earlier, England found it tough going on a flat pitch four strips along from the one under investigation by pitch consultant Andy Mackay last week following Somerset’s County Championship defeat here. Although it is understood Yorkshire will escape censure for that, the contrast between how each played could not have been more striking.With the ball sliding beautifully onto the bat, there was an onus on Brook’s side to take any chances that came their way.However, after Atkinson’s persistent new-ball diligence was rewarded with the leg before dismissal of Pathum Nissanka, following a failed review, they were guilty of a costly miss.Mendis, on 17, towered Jamie Overton’s second delivery from the Football Stand end off the top edge to fine leg with the aid of the afternoon breeze and must have had his heart in his mouth as Gus Atkinson settled underneath it two yards from the rope.Sri Lanka would have been 68 for two had Atkinson’s hands clasped around the ball. Instead, England’s attack were flayed around Leeds during a stand of 137 in 120 deliveries between Mendis and his namesake Kamindu Mendis for the second wicket.At 182 for one in the 30th over, the Sri Lankans were on course to blitz their highest ODI score against England in this country.They would have been disappointed to fall three runs shy of the 324 for two they hurtled to in completing a 5-0 series whitewash over Andrew Strauss’ team here at Headingley 20 years ago, losing momentum once captain Mendis was held on the rope at deep midwicket for 121, attempting a fourth six.But thanks to a chaotic ending, it proved just enough, setting up a series decider at the Oval on Sunday.