Martin Guptill and Tom Latham did not give New Zealand a blazing start like the second ODI. Yet, they combined to lay a solid platform after stand-in captain Kane Williamson chose to bat in Nelson AFP
The pair added 42 together before Dushmantha Chameera had Guptill caught by Tillakaratne Dilshan at point for 30 AFP
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Williamson, standing in for the injured Brendon McCullum, then got into his groove with three successive fours off Angelo Mathews Getty Images
Latham too kept the scorecard ticking until rookie legspinner Jeffrey Vandersay produced a double-strike in his second over to dismiss Latham and Ross Taylor Associated Press
Williamson went onto make a fifty off 65 balls, but fell soon after Chameera removed Henry Nicholls as Sri Lanka pulled things back in the middle overs Associated Press
New Zealand then saw a useful contribution of 38 from Mitchell Santner as he helped the score past 200, before he was run-out in the 42nd over. Doug Bracewell too chipped in with a score of 30 before Tim Southee struck 16 off the last three balls to push New Zealand to 276 for 8 Associated Press
Danushka Gunathilaka gave Sri Lanka a blazing start in their chase of 277, smashing seven fours and four sixes in his 45-ball 65 AFP
He fell to Mitchell McClenaghan, but not before Sri Lanka had raced to 98 in 12.4 overs Associated Press
Tillakaratne Dilshan and Lahiru Thirimanne then combined to add 111 runs for the second wicket, taking Sri Lanka past 200 AFP
Dilshan top-scored with 91, before he was run-out in the 34th over with Sri Lanka still needing 68 AFP
Thirimanne then steered the visitors to the target in 46.2 overs with an unbeaten 87, as Sri Lanka picked up their first win of the tour to stay alive in the series AFP
