Nathan Astle produced a timely return to form with an unbeaten 90 to anchor New Zealand to a five-wicket victory over Sri Lanka for an unassailable 3-0 lead in the one-day series, on Tuesday.

The five-game series was originally due to be played a year ago but was postponed after just one match, won by New Zealand, when parts of Asia, including Sri Lanka, were hit by a tsunami.

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Chasing 255 for seven in the second match of the current  four-game tour at Christchurch, Astle held the innings together while Lou Vincent smashed 46 off 44 balls to give the New Zealand run chase momentum at the top of the order as the Kiwis finished on 256 for five.

Earlier, Upul Tharanga scored his second one-day international century for Sri Lanka and combined with Kumar Sangakkara (36) in a 109-run second-wicket partnership.

Astle, who was originally dropped from the squad to give him the opportunity to regain his scoring touch in domestic cricket, scored his 38th one-day international half-century off 125 balls.

The 34-year-old was only brought back into the squad when captain Stephen Fleming returned home for the birth of his first child, and had been super-sub for the match, replacing bowler Kyle Mills.

He had a slice of luck in the final overs when he was caught in the covers off Dilhara Fernando and then bowled by Chaminda Vaas, both off no balls.

Vaas struggled with his control in the 48th over, with two no balls and a wide and conceded 19 runs.

Peter Fulton followed up his 70 not out from the second match in Queenstown with 32, while Scott Styris chipped in with 28. Chris Cairns was 10 not out.

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Sri Lanka's captain Marvan Atapattu added 52 when he held the innings together towards the end, though it was Tharanga's day.

Playing in just his 12th one-day international, the 20-year-old peppered shots all around the ground and was dismissed for 103 when he hooked a short delivery off Jacob Oram to Fulton on the backward square boundary.

Sri Lanka then lost wickets at regular intervals before Russel Arnold smashed three boundaries off the 49th over from Cairns to push Sri Lanka over 250.