Dimuth Karunaratne scored his maiden Test century to keep Sri Lanka's hopes of salvaging a result against New Zealand alive at Christchurch at tea on day three.
Karunaratne and Lahiru Thirimanne started the afternoon session with the score on 131-2 as the tourists had lost two wickets in the morning.
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The duo continued their solid stand as they reached their 50 partnership of 186 deliveries, despite some quality bowling from the New Zealand attack.
Karunaratne brought up his much-deserved century off 255 balls as he edged the ball through gully off Trent Boult.
However, the 26-year-old and Thirimanne could not reach their 100 partnership as Thirimanne fell to the bowling of James Neesham when he was caught behind by BJ Watling for a patient 25.
Karunaratne continued his resilient knock alongside skipper Angelo Mathews to take the tourists past 200-run, and within 102 runs of forcing the home side to bat again, with seven wickets remaining in their second innings.
Simon Sinclair
