Williamson's heavy bail, Jayasuriya's granite palms

Kusal Mendis had had his off stump rattled, but survived when the bail remained in its groove during the Tests. This time, it was New Zealand's turn to benefit from the cumbersome woodwork. Kane Williamson drove at a length delivery outside off stump from Suranga Lakmal in the eighth over, but when the ball took his inside edge and grazed off stump, the bail just jiggled in its resting place. Worse, for the bowler, the ball sped past the diving keeper and to the fine leg boundary.

Chamara Kapugedera, reputed to be among Sri Lanka's best fielders, made a terrible throw from the covers in the fourth over, when a direct hit would have had Martin Guptill out by more than a metre. That one had passed high above the stumps, but when he had another chance to run Guptill out, this time from point, with more work to do and only one stump to aim at, Kapugedera found the base of the wicket with a strong throw. He caught the batsman short by a few centimetres, only, Guptill had added 26 in the interim.

Jeffrey Vandersay should have picked up a second wicket in his final over to cap a good outing with the ball, but Shehan Jayasuriya's hands didn't want to cooperate. Colin Munro's top-edged reverse sweep hung long enough in the air for Jayasuriya to settle under it, from deep point, but though he watched the ball all the way into his hands, which he held close to his chest, the ball bounced right out of his grasp, and reprieved the batsman.

Trent Boult had got two wickets from batsmen edging balls down the leg side, but was in for another moment of good fortune in the 11th over. He slipped another full delivery down the leg side, and though the batsman, Milinda Siriwardana, had shuffled towards off, rather than making room outside leg, the umpire still bafflingly chose not to award a wide. Boult slinked back to his mark knowing he had caught a break, while the Sri Lanka batsmen voiced disagreement with the umpire.