Sri Lanka captain Marvan Atapattu posted a century in the opening Test against New Zealand in Napier on Wednesday to become the fourth player to score hundreds against all nine Test opponents.

Atapattu made a chanceless 127 while his team mate Mahela Jayawardene blazed an unbeaten 118 to help Sri Lanka reach 351 for three when bad light ended play early on the third day at McLean Park.

• Factbox: Marvan Atapattu

The tourists were still 210 behind New Zealand's massive first innings total of 561 but with only two days remaining on a placid pitch that offers little encouragement to the bowlers, a draw is already the most likely outcome.

"The pitch isn't going to break up, it's going to be a flat surface for five days," New Zealand paceman Chris Martin said.

"To get a result on it will need either some sensational cricket or some very average cricket."

Sri Lanka began the day 48 without loss and suffered an early setback when Martin removed opener Sanath Jayasuriya and wicketkeeper Kumar Sangakkara before lunch.

Jayasuriya fell two runs short of a half-century when he was trapped leg before wicket with the total on 95 then Martin added the scalp of Sangakkara (5) with the first ball of his next over when he played on.

Martin's double-strike brought Atapattu and Jayawardene together and the pair quickly set about balancing the ledger with a partnership of 184, setting a Sri Lankan record for the third wicket against New Zealand.

FLYING START

Jayawardene made a flying start to his innings, reaching his half-century at almost a run a ball then went on to register his 13th Test hundred from 157 deliveries and survive the day with his wicket intact.

Atapattu, cautious but elegant, crawled to his half-century in 119 deliveries but accelerated after lunch, reaching his hundred off 196 balls in 255 minutes when he pulled Kyle Mills to the rope for his 17th boundary.

The Sri Lankan skipper raised his bat in triumph as he recalled his inauspicious start to Test career, when he managed only one run from his first six innings.

He was dropped for three years but forced his way back in and has been on a roller coaster ride ever since.

His Test career includes 21 ducks but also features 16 centuries and six double-hundreds, more than any other player in history except Don Bradman (12), Wally Hammond (7) and Brian Lara (7).

His elusive hundred against the Kiwis on Wednesday meant he joined South African Gary Kirsten, Australian Steve Waugh and Indian Sachin Tendulkar as the only players to reach three figures against nine different Test opponents.

"It's so special, thinking about the start that I had in Test cricket," he said.

"I knew I was capable of scoring runs at this level and the faith in me helped me come back into the side again.

"It was one ambition that I had to score a century against every Test playing nation."

Atapattu reached another major milestone on Wednesday when he became the fourth Sri Lankan to make at least 5,000 Test runs but got out before adding to his score, caught by New Zealand skipper Stephen Fleming off the bowling of Nathan Astle.

Scoreboard:

New Zealand 1st innings: 561 (H Marshall 160, N Astle 114, B McCullum 99, L Malinga 4-131)

Sri Lanka 1st innings (Overnight: 48-0)
M Atapattu c Fleming b Astle 127
S Jayasuriya lbw b Martin 48
K Sangakkara b Martin 5
M Jayawardene not out 118
T Samaraweera not out 34

Extras (lb-4 nb-11 w-4) 19

Total (for 3 wickets, 94 overs) 351

Fall of wickets: 1-95, 2-101, 3-285.

To bat: T Dilshan, N Kulasekara, U Chandana, C Vaas, R Herath, L Malinga

Bowling: Martin 25-4-106-2 (nb-3 w-2), Franklin 20-3-91-0 (nb-5), Wiseman 21-4-76-0, Mills 17-3-47-0 (nb-3), Astle 11-4-27-1.