Pathum Nissanka and Kusal Mendis hit rapid fifties from the top order to propel Sri Lanka to a strong position in the first half of the innings. But a middle-order slowdown brought about by tight spin bowling from New Zealand brought the home team surging back into the game.

Where once a a total of around 350 seemed likely, on a flat deck at the tiny Eden Park, Sri Lanka managed only 290 for 8. Janith Liyanage batted with the allrounders and the tail to ensure that Sri Lanka did not completely deflate through the back-half, hitting 53 off 52 balls. But with the straight boundaries so short, and the surface offering little in the way of seam movement, or turn, this will take some defending.

New Zealand were sloppier in the field than they were in the first two ODIs, with Matt Henry even dropping a sitter off Kamindu Mendis at mid-on. But Henry led a tight New Zealand bowling effort, taking 4 for 55 off his 10 overs, as the other bowlers too created chances, often by creating dot-ball pressure. Mitchell Santner was especially clever in his lines and changes of pace, and reaped 2 for 55 from his full quota. Michael Bracewell and Nathan Smith claimed a wicket apiece.

Henry didn't strike with the new ball, but was the prime destroyer in the middle and late overs. In the 36th over, he had Kamindu, who was done in by the ball straightening off the seam while trying to run a ball to third. At the death, Henry had Chamindu Wickramasinghe and Liyanage caught at deep midwicket, and bowled Wanindu Hasaranga with a yorker. There were plenty of slower balls at a venue in which the batters were constantly trying to target the short boundaries.

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