Put into bat, New Zealand’s lower order rescued the team from a precarious 84/6 to go past 160.
Captain Mitchell Santner led the way with a 47 off 26 balls, slamming four sixes and two fours, while Cole McConchie was unbeaten on 31, with the help of three fours and two sixes.
Though Finn Allen gave the team a brisk start, Sri Lanka struck back in the third over, with Maheesh Theekshana packing off the right-hander and Dushmantha Chameera dismissing his opening partner Tim Seifert in the next over.
A 41-run partnership between Rachin Ravindra (32) and Glenn Phillips provided temporary respite.
But Phillips’ dismissal triggered a middle-order collapse, with New Zealand losing four wickets for nine runs. Ravindra, Mark Chapman and Daryl Mitchell departed within the space of eight balls, with the score frozen on 84.
With New Zealand on the verge, Santner and McConchie dug their heels in. They took their time calming the nerves, then flipped the switch in the 17th over, scoring 70 runs in the last four overs. They piled on 84 runs for the seventh wicket, in just 47 balls, to bring New Zealand roaring back into the game.
Off spinner Theekshana (3/30) and pacer Chameera (3/38) had been razor sharp in the first 15 overs, but came in for some brutal treatment in the slog overs.
