Sri Lanka rebounded from last week's Twenty20 setbacks as the perils of batting second at the Premadasa were again illuminated under lights as New Zealand's quest for 217 folded at 119 in the 37th over.
Planning to become the first team in 11 ODIs to successfully mount a run chase, New Zealand's focus was quickly downgraded to surpassing their previous lowest score against Sri Lanka -- the embarrassing 73 at Eden Park in January 2007.
Grant Elliott and Daniel Vettori spared New Zealand that indignity, but they could not mastermind the recovery from a batting collapse in which six wickets tumbled for 41 runs in 19 overs and Lasith Malinga was left sitting on a hat-trick.
The unorthodox fast bowler was denied the accolade after outwitting Jacob Oram and Nathan McCullum but still recorded four for 28 from 6.1 overs -- an impressive haul though not enough to deny maiden ODI centurion Thilan Samaraweera the man of the match award.
Test cricket's leading run scorer in 2009 and man of the series against New Zealand last month, Samaraweera returned to haunt New Zealand a day after he was added to a revamped Sri Lankan squad.
He celebrated his promotion with a match-turning 104 from 124 balls -- the significant point of difference after Sri Lanka experienced an almost identical top order collapse before recovering to 216 for seven.
Sri Lanka also wobbled at five for two and then 38 for four before Samaraweera calmly guided his side to safety with a century 11 years after his ODI debut against India in Sharjah.
He has only played 22 one-dayers in that time frame but can be expected to be an automatic selection for the foreseeable future after a third century on this tour demoralised New Zealand before Sri Lanka's three-pronged seam attack emphasised the importance of winning the toss.
Samaraweera and young allrounder Angelo Mathews (51) constructed the telling partnership -- 127 for the sixth wicket from 22.2 overs.
They met at 69 for five in the 26th over and were only parted at the death to effectively seal New Zealand's fate.
New Zealand's goal of scoring a typically reasonable 4.34 runs per over was doomed from the sixth ball when Jesse Ryder became the first of three leg before wicket dismissals.
His two-ball duck was followed by Martin Guptill's waft and edge for three; four balls later Ross Taylor (2) was adjudged lbw by local umpire Ashoka de Silva to a Nuwan Kulasekara delivery that was at best tickling the top of leg stump.
Brendon McCullum and Elliott then scraped 33 from 81 balls for the fourth wicket before the vice-captain's swipe at Malinga saw his stumps splayed a run after he was dropped on 13.
Elliott, making his first international appearance on tour, top scored with 41 from 76 balls, tailender Ian Butler the next best, last out on 25 to a Malinga yorker.
New Zealand face the daunting prospect of beating India on Friday to maintain any hope of making Monday's final before they head to South Africa for the Champions Trophy.
Sri Lanka victory margin earned them a bonus point, all but assuring the hosts of playing the decider.
The toss will again be crucial, though when Daryl Tuffey and Shane Bond combined to rip through the Sri Lankan top order it seemed temporarily irrelevant.
Tuffey, drafted in at late notice for an off colour Kyle Mills, defused the explosive Tillakaratne Dilshan with his sixth ball -- the perfect start to his first ODI since the 2007 World Cup.
Bond then had Mahela Jayawardene nabbed at slip for a duck and an out of form Sanath Jayasuriya (7) moving closer to retirement via a slash to third man.
New Zealand might have sensed a quick kill when Sangakkara 18 from 47 balls but Samaraweera and Mathews prolonged the agony.
Bond's first ODI since the World Cup semifinal loss to Sri Lanka in Jamaica returned figures of three for 43 from 10, another encouraging step on his return to all forms of elite level cricket.
Scoreboard
Tillakaratne Dilshan b Tuffey 4
Sanath Jayasuriya c Butler b Bond 7
Mahela Jayawardene c Taylor b Bond 0
Kumar Sangakkara c Oram b Butler 18
Thilan Samaraweera b Butler 104
Thilina Kandambi c Taylor b Vettori 15
Angelo Mathews b Bond 51
Nuwan Kulasekera not out 6
Thilan Thushara not out 6
Extras: (3lb, 2w) 5
TOTAL: (for seven wickets) 216
Overs: 50. Batting time: 225 minutes.
Fall of wickets: 1-4, 2-5, 3-22, 4-38, 5-69, 6-196, 7-204.
Did not bat: Lasith Malinga, Ajantha Mendis.
Bowling: Daryl Tuffey 9-0-35-1, Shane Bond 10-2-43-3 (2w), Ian Butler 10-1-55-2, Jacob Oram 6-0-22-0, Daniel Vettori 8-0-31-1, Nathan McCullum 7-1-27-0.
New Zealand Innings
Brendon McCullum b Malinga 14
Jesse Ryder lbw b Thushara 0
Martin Guptill c Sangakkara b Kulasekera 3
Ross Taylor lbw b Kulasekera 2
Grant Elliot b Jayasuriya 41
Jacob Oram c Sangakkara b Malinga 4
Nathan McCullum b Malinga 0
Daniel Vettori lbw b Jayasuriya 10
Ian Butler b Malinga 25
Daryl Tuffey run out 2
Shane Bond not out 1
Extras: (6b, 1lb, 10w) 17
TOTAL: (all out) 119.
Overs: 36.1.
Fall of wickets: 1-2, 2-5, 3-7, 4-37, 5-41, 6-41, 7-76, 8-101, 9-116, 10-119.
Bowling: Nuwan Kulasekera 6-1-18-2, Thilan Thushara 6-1-5-1, Ajantha Mendis 7-1-14-1 (1w), Lasith Malinga 6.1-0-28-4 (6w), Anjelo Mathews 5-0-19-0 (3w), Sanath Jayasuriya 6-0-28-2.
Toss: Sri Lanka.
Result: Sri Lanka won by 97 runs.
Umpires: Asoka de Silva, Sri Lanka and Billy Doctrove, West Indies.
