New Zealand have slumped to an innings-plus Test defeat to Sri Lanka, succumbing on the fourth day of their second match at Galle.
Beginning the day at 199/5, still 315 runs away from making their opponents bat again, the Black Caps had found some middle-order resistance in the form of wicketkeeper Tom Blundell and allrounder Glenn Phillips.
Poised on 47 not out, Blundell scored the runs required for his 11th Test fifty, but became the first wicket of the morning, when he was trapped leg before wicket by spinner Nishan Peiris.
Phillips continued his controlled aggression, reaching 78 — his fourth half century — before he was caught in the outfield by Dimuth Karunaratne, off Peiris, trying to clear the rope for a fourth time in his innings.
Their departures exposed the NZ tail, with a miracle comeback now a forlorn impossibility, and captain Tom Southee stayed for a good time, not a long time, hitting a six, before he was bowled by first-innings destroyer Prabath Jayasruiya for 10.
Mitch Santner and Ajaz Patel played some lusty shots that carried their team away from unwanted territory, as Sri Lanka watched their biggest-ever Test victory slip through their fingers. That mark still stands at an innings and 200 runs over Ireland last year.
They survived until lunch, although Santner had to withstand a close lbw review off the penultimate ball of the morning session. He brought up his third half-century shortly after the resumption, but lost Patel, when Jayasuriya spun a delivery out of the footmarks to take out offstump.
Sensing the end was near, Santner renewed his attack, striking a four and a six off another Peiris over, but the bowler had the last laugh, coaxing him out of his crease to have him stumped to end the match.
"We're on the wrong side of a tough one this week, but it's a tough place to come," admitted Southee. "Obviously, Sri Lanka are playing some great cricket.
"In this match, it was a lot hard, but in the first match, we had our moments to push on for a better result. We always find some positive, even the way we played in that second innings was more efficient, with guys looking to put the pressure back on the bowlers and a number of them chipping in with some scores."
The result — victory to Sri Lanka by an innings and 154 runs — seals their first series victory over New Zealand in 15 years and severely dents the Kiwis' World Test Championship prospects, as they fall to seventh on the table, with three wins and five losses. They next face India on October 16 at Bengaluru.
Sri Lanka 602/5 declared, New Zealand 88 & 360 (Phillips 78, Santner 67, Conway 61, Blundell 60; Peiris 6/170)
Sri Lanka win by an innings and 154 runs.
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