Having chosen to bowl first on the opening day of their first test at the Basin Reserve against Sri Lanka, the Black Caps reduced the visitors to 275-9, with Tim Southee starring with 5-67.
Much like in their last series against Pakistan, the day ebbed and flowed, with wickets falling in clumps, and a big partnership denying any early rushes to judgement.
That partnership – a 133-run stand between Dimuth Karunaratne and Angelo Mathews – rescued Sri Lanka after they slumped to 9-3, and then a swashbuckling unbeaten 73 from Niroshan Dickwella gave them a total to bowl at, in conditions favourable to the seamers.
Ajaz Patel bowled just three overs for the Black Caps as Southee (25 overs), Trent Boult (26), Neil Wagner (20) and Colin de Grandhomme (13) shared the brunt of the bowling workload, with Southee by far the most productive.
The 30-year-old claimed three wickets in his first two overs, and did it with a superb mix of pitched-up bowling – removing Danushka Gunathilaka with an inswinger, and Dhananjaya de Silva with a beautiful outswinger.
When Kusal Mendis then threw his wicket away with a mindless swat to short mid-wicket, Southee had 3-2, and punters were already whispering about how long the test would last.
However, Sri Lanka still had one of their best batsmen in wait at number five, and Mathews quickly linked up with Karunaratne as the Black Caps' 20 minutes of magic turned into 220 minutes of toil.
The duo weren't afraid to play their shots, and while that led to some edges flying wide or short of despairing fielders, the resulting runs were vital for Sri Lanka to regain a foothold in the test.
Karunaratne looked like he had thrown all his hard work away on 33 when he smacked a de Grandhomme full toss straight to mid-wicket, but as he went to walk off the park, the big screen showed the story – de Grandhomme had overstepped, and proof of the no-ball quickly ended the Black Caps' celebrations, and gave Karunaratne a second chance.
