COLOMBO (Reuters) – New Zealand skittled Sri Lanka out for 122 on Monday to secure a series-levelling victory by an innings and 65 runs on the final day of a rain-hit second Test in Colombo.

New Zealand had batted on for five overs in the morning, allowing BJ Watling to complete a century before declaring their first-innings closed on 431 for six in reply to Sri Lanka’s 244.

That gave the tourists, who lost the opening Test in Galle, a lead of 187 with 91 overs of play left and their bowlers provided the early strikes they needed to reduce Sri Lanka to 32 for five.

“A great effort to push for victory and ultimately come out on the winning side,” New Zealand captain Kane Williamson said at the presentation ceremony.

“Naturally when the game starts coming so close, and the light’s always a factor here as well this time of the year.

“But it was an outstanding effort from the first innings itself. And then the batters scored at a rate that allowed us to move the game forward. Deserve to be 1-1.”

The hosts did not have regular captain Dimuth Karunaratne available to open the innings after he suffered a torn quadriceps while fielding.

He was unable to bat higher than number seven, though when he did take to the field, he and Niroshan Dickwella batted resolutely for a 51-run sixth-wicket partnership that gave Sri Lanka hopes of a draw.

Karunaratne fell lbw for 21 to seamer Tim Southee, however, while wicketkeeper Dickwella, who had suffered a finger injury, delayed the inevitable a little longer with a patient 51.

The Sri Lanka skipper blamed his side’s batting in the first innings for defeat.

“I think it was a pretty good wicket,” he said. “We needed to be patient and put a big score, 240-odd wasn’t enough.

“We need some partnerships, we keep losing wickets regularly. That’s the key … once the batters get a start, we need to get a big one.”

Watling remained unbeaten on 105, his seventh test century, when captain Kane Williamson declared.

Rain had allowed just 66 overs on the first two days of the match, and 48 overs on the fourth.

The teams next play three Twenty20 internationals, starting in Pallekele on Sunday.

KIWIS CRUSH..
SRI LANKA 1st innings 244
New Zealand 1st innings
Jeet Raval c Dhananjaya de Silva b Dilruwan Perera 0
Tom Latham lbw Dilruwan Perera 154
Kane Williamson c Kusal Mendis b Lahiru Kumara 20
Ross Taylor c Dhananjaya de Silva b Lasith Embuldeniya 23
Henry Nicholls c Dhananjaya de Silva b Dilruwan Perera 15
BJ Watling Not Out 105
Colin de Grandhomme c Lahiru Kumara b Lasith Embuldeniya 83
Tim Southee Not Out 24
Extras 0b 4lb 0nb 0pen 3w 7
Total (115.0 overs) 431 decl
Fall of Wickets : 1-1 Raval, 2-34 Williamson, 3-84 Taylor, 4-126 Nicholls, 5-269 Latham, 6-382 de Grandhomme
Did Not Bat : Somerville, Patel, Boult
Bowling: Dilruwan Perera 37 – 4 – 114 – 3, Dhananjaya de Silva 5 – 1 – 10 – 0,
Suranga Lakmal 11 – 2 – 32 – 0, Lahiru Kumara 25 – 0 -115- 1 (3w),
Lasith Embuldeniya 37 – 4 – 156 – 2.

SRI LANKA 2nd innings
Lahiru Thirimanne Run Out Ajaz Patel 0
Kusal Perera c BJ Watling b Trent Boult 0
Kusal Mendis b William Somerville 20
Angelo Mathews c Ross Taylor b Colin de Grandhomme 7
Dhananjaya de Silva c Tim Southee b Ajaz Patel 1
Niroshan Dickwella c Tom Latham b Ajaz Patel 51
Dimuth Karunaratne lbw Tim Southee 21
Dilruwan Perera c Ross Taylor b Tim Southee 0
Suranga Lakmal c Tom Latham b William Somerville 14
Lasith Embuldeniya c Kane Williamson b Trent Boult 5
Lahiru Kumara Not Out 0
Extras 0b 2lb 0nb 0pen 1w 3
Total (70.2 overs) 122 all out
Fall of Wickets : 1-0 Thirimanne, 2-4 Perera, 3-11 Mathews, 4-22 de Silva, 5-32 Mendis, 6-73 Karunaratne, 7-75 Perera, 8-115 Lakmal, 9-118 Dickwella, 10-122 Embuldeniya
Bowling : Trent Boult 14.2 – 8 – 17 – 2, Tim Southee 12 – 6 – 15 -2 (1w),
Ajaz Patel 19 – 3 – 31 – 2, Colin de Grandhomme 4 – 1 – 8 – 1,
William Somerville 21 – 6 – 49 – 2