New Zealand batsman Kane Williamson helped his side cross the 250 mark late in the afternoon against Sri Lanka and keep the hosts' hopes alive in the second Test as the tourists dropped two catches before the draw of stumps at the end of day three.
Williamson remained unbeaten on 80 at stumps on day three at the Basin Reserve as the hosts reached 253-5 in their second innings, with a lead of 118 runs and five wickets remaining.
Gloveman BJ Watling stood firm once again and would resume on 48 after he and Williamson added an unbroken 94 to lift the total, Stuff.co.nz reported.
It was Sri Lanka's day again but it could have been so much better if they'd held their catches, with Williamson given two vital let-offs on 29 and 60.
Resuming on 22-0, still trailing by 113, a solid start was vital. Tom Latham and Hamish Rutherford's best opening stand from six previous innings was 37. They added 75 with Latham looking compact and composed. Rutherford received a vital let-off, too, a howler that gave New Zealand some breathing space.
Rutherford fell 10 runs of his half-century as he fell into the short-pitched trap from Sri Lanka's best, Nuwan Pradeep, on his individual score of 40.
Rutherford's dismissal sparked a mini collapse of three for four in 30 balls, with Latham (35) driving at a wide one and Ross Taylor fooled by a gem from Rangana Herath for a seven-ball duck.
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Skipper Brendon McCullum's disappointing Test continued, after a dream year. He batted an hour for 22 before being beaten for pace by Prasad, his DRS review unsuccessful.
Williamson steadied the ship for New Zealand, reaching his 16th test half-century and eyeing his fifth ton in the past 12 months, the report added.
