Lou Vincent and Stephen Fleming both completed half-centuries to give New Zealand a 42-run first innings lead over Sri Lanka at close of play on the second day of the second Test in Wellington on Tuesday.
Vincent hit an unbeaten 79 and Fleming chipped in with 60 not out to help the Kiwis recover from a top-order slump and reach 253 for four in reply to Sri Lanka's 211 when play was abandoned early because of fog.
The pair added a 100 runs in 141 minutes in an unbroken fifth-wicket partnership after Chaminda Vaas had ripped through the top order in the first half of the day at the Basin Reserve in Wellington.
The Sri Lankan paceman dismissed the Marshall twins, James and Hamish, in the morning session then removed Craig Cumming and Nathan Astle in successive balls after lunch to leave New Zealand reeling at 153-4.
Vaas made the initial breakthrough when he trapped James Marshall leg before wicket for 28 with a perfect inswinger in the third over of the day.
He then dismissed Hamish Marshall for six with an off-cutter that found the edge and deflected to a juggling Mahela Jayawardene at first slip.
Vincent and Cumming steered New Zealand to 134-2 at lunch after the home team started the day on 52 without loss and stretched their fourth-wicket partnership to 83 when Vaas struck twice more.
Vaas trapped Cumming leg before wicket for 47 with a ball that dipped on him, ending an innings that lasted more than three and a half hours, then dismissed first Test centurion Astle for a golden duck, caught at short leg by Shantha Kalavitigoda.
Vincent, who adopted a more aggressive role while Cumming played the anchorman, reached his half-century after lunch off 124 balls and finished the session with 79 from 188 deliveries, highlighted by eight boundaries and a six.
Fleming, who has been struggling for form, displayed his finest fighting qualities to reach the close unbeaten on 60 after making a defiant 41 to ensure the first Test ended in a draw.
He dropped himself down the order after injuring his knee fielding on day one but came to the crease at the fall of the fourth wicket and struck eight fours to put his team in front.
Scoreboard:
Sri Lanka 1st innings: 211 all out (T Samaraweera 73; C Martin 6-54)
New Zealand 1st innings: (Overnight: 52-0)
C Cumming lbw b Vaas 47
J Marshall lbw b Vaas 28
H Marshall c Jayawardene b Vaas 6
L Vincent not out 79
N Astle c Kalavitigoda b Vaas 0
S Fleming not out 60
Extras (b-9 lb-13 nb-10 w-1) 33
Total (for 4 wickets, 85 overs) 253
Fall of wickets: 1-61, 2-70, 3-153, 4-153.
To bat: B McCullum, K Mills, J Franklin, P Wiseman, C Martin
Bowling: Vaas 24-8-69-4 (nb-9), Malinga 15-1-56-0 (w-1), Maharoof 19-9-48-0, Jayawardene 6-2-14-0, Chandana 16-4-36-0 (nb-1), Jayasuriya 5-2-8-0.
