Relive 1 NEWS NOW's live updates of day five of the second Test between the Black Caps and Sri Lanka at Hagley Oval in Christchurch.
11:10am: SL 236/9 - Kumara 0
WICKET! Chameera's gone and it's over. Boult catches him in front, the finger goes up and Sri Lanka say that's it. NZ win the series! They take this Test by 423 runs with Mathews unable to rejoin the match after retiring hurt. It's Sri Lanka's largest defeat by victory margin in history and also the eighth-largest victory in Test cricket history. It's also the Black Caps' biggest ever.
Just 14 balls needed to get the job done. What a finish to 2018 for the squad. That's all from us. Have a great day.
11:05am: SL 233/8 - Chameera 0, Kumara 0
WICKET! Wagner joins Boult from the other end and with his second ball of the day claims Perera. Short ball and Perera tries to pull it but sends it sky high. Williamson runs backwards to take the over-the-shoulder catch at square leg. Nice take. What a start from the Black Caps.
SL trail by 426 runs with two wickets in hand.
11:01am: SL 233/7 - Perera 22, Chameera 0
WICKET! BOULT'S OFF TO A FLYING START! Third ball of the morning and he's bowled Lakmal clean out. Goes for a fuller ball and Lakmal is trapped on his back foot, beats his attempt at a downward chop and smashes the off stump.
SL trail by 426 runs with three wickets in hand.
11:00am: SL 231/6 - Lakmal 16, Perera 22
Boult gets things going on day five. Looking for some early swing action.
SL trail by 428 runs with four wickets in hand.
PREVIEW
After the agonising stalemate in Wellington, The Black Caps are on the brink of claiming a Test win over Sri Lanka on the final day of play but they've been made to work for it.
At stumps, Sri Lanka were 231-6 last night and still trail by 428 runs entering today's play, but the defensive play from the visitors have meant wickets have been slow to come by.
But slowly the wickets came with three of the Sri Lanka batsmen falling to catches by wicketkeeper B.J. Watling, who passed 200 catches in tests.
"It was obviously tough to create any chances," Watling said after play yesterday evening.
"I think we knew if we hung in there long enough, bowled some good balls, some good bumpers we could create some pressure and finally take that first wicket and get a little role on.
"It's still hard work out there now with the tailenders so a lot of work to do tomorrow."
With home victories over the West Indies and England last summer, coupled with a sensational away win over Pakistan in the UAE earlier this month, the Black Caps can notch a fourth straight series win - something that at one point may have only seemed a dream to supporters in New Zealand.
Speaking to media before the Test, Black Caps batting coach Craig McMillan opened up about the prospect of a fourth-straight series victory.
"It would mean a lot," he began.
"When you talk about international sport, and cricket in general, you talk about consistency.
"We're very proud of our home record, that's one of the challenges for us now - this is a one-off Test match where the series is on the line, there's a lot to play for."
TEAMS
NZ: 1 Jeet Raval, 2 Tom Latham, 3 Kane Williamson (capt), 4 Ross Taylor, 5 Henry Nicholls, 6 BJ Watling (wk), 7 Colin de Grandhomme, 8 Tim Southee, 9 Neil Wagner, 10 Ajaz Patel, 11 Trent Boult
SL: 1 Dimuth Karunaratne, 2 Danushka Gunathilaka , 3 Dinesh Chandimal, 4 Kusal Mendis, 5 Dinesh Chandimal (capt), 6 Angelo Mathews, 7 Niroshan Dickwella (wk), 8 Dilruwan Perera, 9 Suranga Lakmal, 10 Dushmantha Chameera, 11 Lahiru Kumara
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