Fast bowler Chris Martin destroyed Sri Lanka's top order to put New Zealand in a strong position at stumps on the opening day of the second and final Test on Monday.
Martin finished with career-best figures of six for 54 as the tourists collapsed to be all out for 211 at the Basin Reserve in Wellington.
New Zealand wiped 52 runs off the deficit without loss before bad light ended play early, leaving them 159 behind with all 10 first innings wickets in hand.
James Marshall, playing in just his third Test, was unbeaten on 24 from 33 balls with fellow opener Craig Cumming not out 14 and the pair scoring at nearly five runs an over.
Thilan Samaraweera top-scored for Sri Lanka with 73 and Upul Chandana chipped in with a valuable 41 after Martin's initial blitz left the tourists reeling at 86-7 just after lunch.
Martin claimed his first victim with the third ball of the match when he dismissed Sri Lankan skipper Marvan Atapattu for a duck, caught by Lou Vincent at third slip.
Sanath Jayasuriya and Kumar Sangakkara added 34 for the second wicket before Martin struck again, removing Sangakkara for 16, caught by Marshall in the gully, then trapping Mahela Jayawardene lbw for one in the same over.
Martin claimed a fourth scalp when Jayasuriya fended a ball to Nathan Astle at second slip for 22 then completed his five-wicket haul when Tillakaratne Dilshan gloved a bouncer to wicketkeeper Brendon McCullum for nine.
Sri Lanka went to lunch at 65-5 and lost two quick wickets after the resumption before Samaraweera launched his rescue mission.
Test debutant Shantha Kalavithigoda fell to Martin for seven then James Franklin bowled Chaminda Vaas for five with a yorker.
Samaraweera survived three dropped catches to register his eighth Test half-century off 128 balls, sharing an 89 run partnership with Chandana, a Sri Lankan record for the eighth wicket against New Zealand.
Part-time seamer Astle broke the stand when he trapped Chandana lbw then added the scalps of Samaraweera and Farveez Maharoof to finish with 3-35.
Last week's first test at Napier ended in a draw.
Scorecard
Sri Lanka 1st innings
M. Atapattu c Vincent b Martin 0
S. Jayasuriya c Astle b Martin 22
K. Sangakkara c J. Marshall b Martin 16
M. Jayawardene lbw b Martin 1
T. Samaraweera lbw b Astle 73
T. Dilshan c McCullum b Martin 9
S. Kalavitigoda c Vincent b Martin 7
C. Vaas b Franklin 5
U. Chandana lbw b Astle 41
F. Maharoof c sub b Astle 12
L. Malinga not out 4
Extras (b-4 lb-5 nb-11 w-1) 21
Total (all out, 65.1 overs) 211
Fall of wickets: 1-0, 2-34, 3-36, 4-41, 5-60, 6-80, 7-86, 8-175, 9-200, 10-211.
Bowling: Martin 20 - 7 - 54 - 6 (nb-1), Franklin 11 - 1 - 51 - 1 (nb-9 w-1), Mills 20 - 6 - 50 - 0 (nb-1), Astle 12.1 - 2 - 35 - 3, Wiseman 2 - 0 - 12 - 0.
New Zealand 1st innings
C. Cumming not out 14
J. Marshall not out 24
Extras (b-4 lb-6 nb-4) 14
Total (for no loss, 11 overs) 52
To bat: H. Marshall, S. Fleming, N. Astle, L. Vincent, B. M cCullum, K. Mills, J. Franklin, P. Wiseman, C. Martin
Bowling: Vaas 5 - 1 - 16 - 0 (nb-4), Malinga 3 - 0 - 14 - 0, Maharoof 3 - 1 - 12 - 0.
