Fast bowlers Trent Boult and Tim Southee took two wickets apiece to put Sri Lanka on the back foot on the second morning of the second test as the hosts reached 141-6 at lunch on Friday.
Sri Lanka resumed day two on 85-2 after a rain-hit opening day but New Zealand's seamers used the overcast conditions at P.Sara Oval to good effect to pluck four wickets during the session.
Boult struck twice in the 42nd over, having Angelo Mathews (2) dismissed with the first ball when he attempted a pull shot and gloved a catch to wicketkeeper BJ Watling. In the fifth delivery, Kusal Perera (0) was trapped lbw leaving Sri Lanka at 93-4.
Sri Lanka's Dimuth Karunaratne, right celebrates scoring a half century with Angelo Mathews during the day two of the second test cricket match between Sri Lanka and New Zealand in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Friday, Aug. 23, 2019. (AP PhotoEranga Jayawardena)
Southee joined the fray by taking the price wicket of in-form captain Dimuth Karunaratne, who was caught behind for 65 runs. Karunaratne carried his good form from the first test in which he scored a century, and faced 165 deliveries and hit six boundaries.
Niroshan Dickwella also departed without scoring, caught behind by Watling off Southee.
Dhananjaya de Silva was batting on 32 with Dilruwan Perera on five.
Sri Lanka's Dimuth Karunaratne plays a shot during the day two of the second test cricket match between Sri Lanka and New Zealand in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Friday, Aug. 23, 2019. (AP PhotoEranga Jayawardena)
Boult had two wickets for 33 runs in 14 overs while Southee returned two for 40 in 20 overs. Seamer Collin de Grandhomme and spinner William Somerville also took a wicket each.
Opener Lahiru Thirimanne (2) and Kusal Mendis (32) were out on Thursday.
Sri Lanka looks for a sweep in the two-match series having won the first test in Galle by six wickets.
New Zealand's Trent Boult, foreground, reacts after dropping a catch off a shot played by Sri Lanka Dhananjaya de Silva during the day two of the second test cricket match between Sri Lanka and New Zealand in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Friday, Aug. 23, 2019. (AP PhotoEranga Jayawardena)
New Zealand must win the game to square the series and collect points to improve on the World Test Championship ratings.
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