(REUTERS) – Sri Lanka got off to a strong start in their chase for a 268-run victory target after skipper Dimuth Karunaratne and Lahiru Thirimanne frustrated New Zealand with a 133-run opening stand on the penultimate day of the opening Test yesterday.

After New Zealand made 285 all out, to leave the hosts with a tricky fourth-innings target, Karunaratne and Thirimanne batted sensibly through the last two sessions, to swing momentum their way.

Karunaratne hit only two boundaries in his patient 71, while Thirimanne stroked four of them in his sedate 57 before bad light stopped play with the hosts needing 135 to go 1-0 up in the two-Test series.

The home captain needed luck to reach the 50-mark, which he did when BJ Watling, who had an outstanding match with the bat, could not hold on to a catch after Karunaratne had edged spinner William Somerville.

Earlier, Watling and Somerville batted resolutely to frustrate Sri Lanka after New Zealand resumed on 195-7 at the Galle International Stadium.

Watling, who had completed his fifty on Friday, fell for 77 which is the highest Test score by a New Zealand wicketkeeper in Sri Lanka.

Trent Boult chipped in with 26 useful runs while Somerville remained not out on 40 after facing 118 balls.

For the hosts, spinners Lasith Embuldeniya (4-99) and Dhananjaya de Silva (3-25) shared seven wickets between them.

NEW ZEALAND 1st innings 249
SRI LANKA 1st innings 267
NEW ZEALAND 2nd innings
Jeet Raval c Dimuth Karunaratne b Dhananjaya de Silva 4
Tom Latham c Lahiru Thirimanne b Akila Dananjaya 45
Kane Williamson c Kusal Perera b Lasith Embuldeniya 4
Ross Taylor c Dhananjaya de Silva b Lasith Embuldeniya 3
Henry Nicholls c Kusal Mendis b Dhananjaya de Silva 26
BJ Watling c Niroshan Dickwella b Lahiru Kumara 77
Mitchell Santner c Suranga Lakmal b Lasith Embuldeniya 12
Tim Southee stp. Niroshan Dickwella b Lasith Embuldeniya 23
William Somerville not out 40
Trent Boult c Dhananjaya de Silva b Lahiru Kumara 26
Ajaz Patel lbw Dhananjaya de Silva 14
Extras: (b-4, lb-5, nb-2) 11
Total: (all out, 106.0 overs) 285
Fall of wickets: 1-8, 2-20, 3-25, 4-81, 5-98, 6-124, 7-178, 8-224, 9-260.
Bowling: Suranga Lakmal 15-2-37-0 (nb-2), Akila Dananjaya 32-4-84-1, Dhananjaya de Silva 12-3-25-3, Lasith Embuldeniya 37-4-99-4, Lahiru Kumara 10-0-31-2.

SRI LANKA 2nd innings
Dimuth Karunaratne not out 71
Lahiru Thirimanne not out 57
Extras: (b-4, lb-1) 5
Total: (no wkt, 50.0 overs) 133
Bowling: Trent Boult 6-1-21-0, Tim Southee 5- 1- 8-0, William Somerville 20-5-36-0, Ajaz Patel 10-0-0-0.