Suranga Lakmal and Tim Southee vied for early honours as 14 wickets fell to leave the deciding second Test between New Zealand and Sri Lanka evenly poised on day one in Christchurch on Wednesday.
"The first session (on Thursday) will be important for both teams," Southee said at the end of a day in which he top-scored for New Zealand with 68 and then took three quick Sri Lankan wickets.
After Sri Lanka won the toss and opted to bowl, Lakmal produced a career-best five for 54 as New Zealand crumbled and were all out for 178 in 50 overs.
At stumps, Sri Lanka were 88 for four in reply with Angelo Mathews not out 27 and Roshen Silva on 15 while Southee had three for 29.
"I'd say it's evenly poised," Sri Lankan bowling coach Rumesh Ratnayake said, as he praised Lakmal's vital contribution.
While during the start if the day’s play New Zealand knew they were in for a tough time when they lost the toss, with Southee feeling their fortunes improved after he took 14 off one Lakmal over to put the star Sri Lankan performer out of the attack.
In a marathon opening session, Lakmal bowled unchanged for 16 overs as he tore New Zealand apart with figures at one stage of four for 11. He returned late in the innings to remove Neil Wagner to eclipse his previous best of five for 63 against South Africa two years ago.
Southee and BJ Watling (46) offered spirited resistance for New Zealand with a 108-run stand for the seventh wicket while Ross Taylor (27) was the only other home batsman to score more than 10.
SL are pushing to end a run of six consecutive Tests against NZ without a win.
There were catches by the wicketkeeper, second slip and mid-off as well as a bowled as he sent Jeet Raval, Latham, Kane Williamson and Henry Nicholls back to the pavilion in his opening spell. Lahiru Kumara joined the wicket spree with two dismissals, including the fortunate run out of Taylor.