Kulasekara is off the mark with an uppish flick into the leg side that draws cries of "catch it!", but falls safely. There's also a shy at the stumps and a direct hit to end the over as Mathews calls for a sharp single, but Kulasekara is home. Just.
What hope can Angelo Mathews have now? His half century, at least, would be a good effort and he moves to 39 with his third boundary - a cracking cut to cover point off Astle. His partner at the other end does have a first-class best of 95 so all is not lost. If Sri Lanka get out of this one, it'll be miraculous.
WICKET! Sri Lanka are sliding now, as Randiv falls without scoring. Boult fired one down on a great length and managed to curve the ball just far enough from round the wicket to find the outside edge. Martin Guptill, at second slip, completed the dismissal. New Zealand are buzzing, and Boult really thunders in at the new batsman, Kulasekara.
Two slips, a silly point and a short leg are staring Randiv dead in the eye as Astle continues. He offers a dead bat in return, and drinks are called on at the end of the over.
Boult fires a short one past Mathews' flashing blade to begin his 13th over, but discretion soon takes over and the batsman sees fit to play out the remaining five deliveries defensively. Mathews looks sturdy in defense, but every so often he'll attack wildly and that'll give New Zealand hope.
A single puts Randiv on strike to Astle, and he's immediately crowded by men all round the bat on both sides of the wicket. Astle has his tail up, and sends down a couple of ripping legspinners that are well kept out.
Suraj Randiv comes to the wicket after a grinding 56-run partnership is broken. Bracewell is replaced by Boult, and his comeback over is safely negotiated by the batsmen. Upon multiple viewings of the replays after the wicket, there may be some doubt as to whether Jayawardene actually got anything on that. If there was an edge, it was very fine indeed and practically inaudible on the stump mic. There's no HotSpot on offer.
WICKET! Todd Astle has his first Test dismissal, and it comes about in classic fashion for a legspinner. He floats one up, gets the ball to drift in a touch and then zip off the pitch, taking the outside edge of Jayawardene's poking defense and nestling in van Wyk's gloves. He's jubilant at the dismissal, and is mobbed by some very happy teammates.
Kruger van Wyk is standing back once again as Bracewell begins his over with a short ball that is too wide outside off to be of any danger to Jayawardene. The batsman has a flash at what looked like a legcutter shortly afterwards, drawing hopeful gasps from the keeper and slip cordon.
Todd Astle replaces Jeetan Patel, offering more flight and spin away from the right-handed batsmen. What he doesn't have, or so it appears, is a wrong 'un, and Mathews is comfortable leaving deliveries pitching just outside off well alone. With the batsmen currently rendered almost shotless, Astle registers his second maiden of the innings.
Just the faintest hint of movement in through the air for Bracewell, and he also uses a wide angle on the crease to try and sneak one between bat and pad. An attempted bouncer that sails over Jayawardene's head is called wide and, mixing things up further, Taylor then calls van Wyk up to the stumps. New Zealand still look really hungry for a wicket.
A swarm of fielders around the bat heap the pressure on Mathews as Patel continues, but he soaks it up and keeps his feet moving either forward or back to see out a maiden. There's even a hint of aggression as he considers jumping out of his crease, but the effort comes to naught.
Bracewell replaces Southee, and bends his back to try and get some life out of this aging ball. A couple of attempted bouncers are dealt with fairly easily, Jayawardene hopping in defense and then pulling a single out into the deep. Might this ball begin to reverse? The Blackcaps fielders are putting plenty of work into shining it, but there's been no real movement as yet.
Survival is of utmost importance to Sri Lanka, and Mathews even goes so far as to pat a full toss back to Patel in the course of a maiden. Plenty of variation again from the offspinner, switching between over and round the wicket.
The ball is checked by the Umpires at the start of the over, but is deemed fit for use so we won't have another unscheduled ball change - of which there have been several in this game. Southee, meanwhile, is bowling a mixture of short, quick deliveries and slow offcutters pitched up to the bat. A pull and a nudge off the armpit take Mathews into the 30s, and the fifty partnership - from 171 deliveries - comes up during the over.
Jeetan Patel twirls his way through an over, trying a variety of lines and paces in his efforts to get past Jayawardene. He even offers a chirp in the batsman's ear, but Jayawardene holds firm. Yet another maiden.
Southee is on the hunt for a wicket. He's only got one slip in place, but he has two catchers close in at short leg and short midwicket, and mid-on is also fairly close in. He begins the over by whistling one past Jayawardene's grille, and then beats his outside edge with a well-disguised slower ball. Another short one is pulled into the deep, where there are two men waiting for a top edge, before Mathews blocks out the remainder of the over.
Patel stays on at the other end, with two men in close and catching on the leg side and a slip in place. As was the case before lunch, he varies his pace well to keep the batsman guessing. Mathews is content to play himself back in after the interval, and sees out a maiden. Now, will we see more short stuff from Southee, or were the bouncers in the last over a surprise attack?
The second delivery after lunch brings an appeal as a short ball rears past Jayawardene's attempted hook and into van Wyk's gloves. Not out is the answer, and the batsman survives a few more short balls - with a short leg in place - in the course of the over. Is this a change of plan for New Zealand?
New Zealand retain control of this Test match despite taking just one wicket in the morning session - and that through batsman's error as Thilan Samaraweera was run out. Their quick bowlers have, once again, been impressive, working hard to find any movement on offer and making sure to keep the batsmen playing at the ball. The spinners have been good too, and one feels that Sri Lanka could slip very quickly once New Zealand get past Mathews and Jayawardene. That said, Faf du Plessis recently showed the value of grinding defense and a never-say-die attitude, and it's not impossible that Sri Lanka could save this match. Join us in half an hour or so for the second session.
There's barely a shot in sight as Patel twirls down the last over before lunch to Jayawardene. What would have been the third maiden on the trot is ruined by a single to extra cover, and that takes us to lunch.
Ah, now this is a surprise. Daniel Flynn, who has never bowled a ball in a Test and has a solitary first-class wicket to his name, is brought on with minutes to go before lunch. He offers up loopy straightbreaks from around the wicket, but he's on target and Mathews blocks his way through a maiden. Will we squeeze another over in before lunch? Yes indeed.
Jayawardene has survival - and, possibly, lunch - on his mind as he offers resolute defense to Patel. The offspinner is varying his pace a lot more than Astle is. He's generally quicker through the air as well.
Jayawardene moves into the 20s as Astle pulls one down a little too short and is clobbered to the deep midwicket boundary. The bowler looks threatening when he pitches the ball up, and continues to find turn and bounce - particularly when he pushes it through a little quicker. Lunch isn't far away. New Zealand would love a wicket before the break.
Patel beats the outside edge! The offspinner begins his seventh over with a superb delivery that drifts away from Jayawardene's bat and then goes straight on. A flighted delivery is driven to mid-off's left for a single, and Mathews sees out the over ... at the end of which, there's another delay as some running repairs are done to one of the bats. New Zealand don't look impressed, and neither do the umpires.
Todd Astle is really looping the ball down very slowly in his search for some purchase off the wicket. Jayawardene repeatedly stretches forward to smother any spin, and then brings up the Sri Lankan hundred with a pull to deep midwicket off a short delivery.
Jayawardene taps a single to point off the back foot, and Mathews sees fit to block out the rest of Patel's over.
Mathews is still looking for his shots. Astle slips one down a little too short and the Sri Lankan leaps onto the back foot to crunch a pull to the wide long-on boundary. New Zealand won't mind the aggression.
Spin from both ends as Jeetan Patel is brought on, and very nearly forces the breakthrough! The man out on the sweep was brought in to a regular square leg, and a fidgety Mathews bent into a wild slog sweep. An inside edge bounced to the fielder at backward short leg, the shot setting off a succession of cackles from the close fielders. They'll be having a word in Mathews' ear about that shot, with 20 minutes to go before lunch.
Turn and bounce for Astle! He beats Jayawardene's backfoot defense with one that pitches on middle and leg and fizzes past the outside edge. A couple of Sri Lankans trot onto the field with water and towels at the end of the over and are given short shrift by the umpires. No time wasters please!
Southee hurls down a bouncer at Jayawardene, who is equal to it sends a controlled pull out to the man at deep square leg. To Mathews, Southee keeps it full and the batsman has to dig out a quick yorker to end the over.
Astle appears to have found his rhythm now. He loops the ball down on a good, full length to keep Mathews defending before giving the final delivery a real rip. That one has drift, dip and sharp spin off the track as Mathews leans forward and leaves alone.
Jayawardene shows good patience in leaving several deliveries alone outside off to Southee, but the bowler is moving the ball both ways and a couple of them aren't too far from the stumps. There's an extended, emotive appeal for lbw as the final delivery of the over zips past his defense and strikes him on the pad, but Nigel Llong isn't interested. It looked to be missing leg, perhaps. Some doubt there.
Astle has two slips now, but he's got to let the ball pitch if either of them are to be of any use. A massive, looping full toss is bludgeoned to the deep midwicket by Mathews, who then finds a single to deep cover off one pitched a little too short. A flick to fine leg by Jayawardene makes it six from the over.
We saw a couple of innovative, experimental field positions from New Zealand in Sri Lanka's first innings and it's been the same story this morning. Tim Southee is brought back on, and two men are placed very close together close in at midwicket. There's an obvious plan, but Mathews survives the bumper and a couple of deliveries aimed at the stumps without offering a chance. He's looked pretty solid this morning.
Todd Astle is brought into the attack for the first time this morning. He's got a slip and a short leg in place, with cover in the deep on either side of the wicket for Mathews. The Sri Lankan taps a shortish, flat delivery into the leg side for a single, and with Jayawardene on strike a man is placed for the top-edged sweep. He resists the temptation and is gifted a low full toss to get off strike. There's a moment of alarm thereafter as Mathews lunges forward to a flighted leggie and edges towards slip, but the ball drops short of a tumbling Taylor.
Jayawardene wears one on the body as Boult digs one in, and has to hurry a jabbed defense as the bowler curves one down very full a couple of deliveries later. Jayawardene's not had the greatest series, and he hasn't looked very convincing this morning. Cometh the hour, perhaps ...
Plenty of loop once again from Patel, who is still operating from around the stumps with two slips in place. It's the catcher on the leg side who's kept interested as a couple of deliveries are nudged towards him, but there are no chances offered and Mathews finds two runs with a glance past short fine leg.
Boult continues after the short interval, zipping the first ball through Jayawardene's poking defense. With a touch of wobble on the ball and Boult attacking the stumps from round the wicket, Jayawardene is tested by almost every delivery. He survives, Boult registering his fourth maiden.
Jeetan Patel has two men in the slips and another at short leg as he flights the ball temptingly from around the wicket. The ball isn't exactly spitting off the wicket, and Jayawardene nudges a single behind square on the leg side. Mathews' concentration holds, despite plenty of chatter from the fielders at the wicket, and he sees out the over as drinks are brought onto the field.
Mathews picks up two more by working Boult through the leg side, with the bowler attacking the stumps from both over and round the wicket during the over. His lines, after the first delivery, are good - as are his lengths - and Mathews offers stolid defense.
Jeetan Patel replaces Doug Bracewell, with three men catching around the bat and another at a shortish midwicket. Jayawardene is off the mark with a flick past that midwicket fielder for one and then ends the over with a languorous drive through extra cover that beats the fielder to the fence. It was a pretty classy looking shot, but Patel won't mind the batsman driving against the spin like that.
Has Mathews been rattled by the run-out? He's starting to play a couple of shots now. He chops a cut past gully for a couple against Boult, and aims a drive into the covers before the over's up.
WICKET! Samaraweera departs in disappointing fashion, run out. He dropped a length delivery towards cover and set off for a run, calling 'yes' and running down without looking at the non-striker. Mathews yelled 'no!' and didn't move. The senior bat, turned back but was yards short when Patel's throw went to van Wyk. Sri Lanka are slipping now.
Ross Taylor continues to rotate his seamers, Trent Boult coming back into the attack. He starts over the wicket to Mathews, who starts the over in a positive fashion with a clip to deep backward square for two. Mathews leaves a couple alone outside off on the angle, and Boult switches to round the wicket for the final delivery, with no luck.
The first delivery that you might call short from Bracewell, but it doesn't get up too high and Mathews hops to defend easily enough. Things aren't quite so easy for Samaraweera four deliveries later, as he takes his eyes off another short one and is pinged on the back of the helmet. The ball flies over the slips and down to third man for four leg byes. Samaraweera has a smile on his face. I suppose a bouncer can't be too scary when you've dodged - and been hit by - actual bullets.
Southee is attacking the stumps here, bowling wicket to wicket, but every so often he gets a little too straight at the batsman. Samaraweera glances the first boundary of the morning off a delivery that was snaking down the leg side with a neat little shot. Southee's next delivery flies even further down the leg side, and Samaraweera can't get a touch on it. McCullum, at a short, straight catching mid-on, is in action for the final delivery as Samaraweera drives a ball straight at him along the ground. McCullum pulls off a clean stop and sends the batsman scurrying for the crease as he threatens a shy.
Runs for Mathews now, the right-hander whipping a delivery that was angled in towards leg stump through square leg. Southee is the man down at fine leg, and he charges across to keep the batsmen to two. The short midwicket fielder is retained - McCullum it is - so New Zealand are ready for a catch in front or behind the wicket should either of these batsmen slip up.
The first runs off the bat of the morning are scored, Samaraweera leaning over a full delivery to nurdle a couple of runs through midwicket and take Sri Lanka to fifty. Southee readjusts and no further runs are scored in another tight over. New Zealand have a man in at a catching midwicket, should such a shot fly in the air.
Bracewell, who picked up the important scalps of Sangakkara and Jayawardene last night, replaces Boult and there's no let up in the pressure being created. His length is a little fuller than either Southee or Boult had been in their short spells today, Bracwell attacking the stumps consistently. Mathews offers a drive to mid-on, but is otherwise defensive. No runs off the bat yet.
This is testing stuff so far from the New Zealand quicks. Once again Southee aims almost every delivery at the top of off, but Samaraweera is equal to the task and bats out a maiden. Can the Sri Lankans Faf New Zealand here? These two certainly seem to be digging in.
Trent Boult replaces Patel immediately, and his very first delivery curves in towards Samaraweera's pads through the air. That'll encourage the Blackcaps seamers. They've been working with former Sri Lankan left-armer Chaminda Vaas on this tour. Indeed, Vaas is Boult's first left-arm specialist coach. Boult's first over this morning is a good one, with wobble either way through the air and the batsman forced to play every delivery once again. Just a leg-bye off it.
Southee from the other end, with three slips and a gully awaiting an edge. They're almost in business as a thick outside edge goes towards gully off Mathews' bat, but it drops well short of the field. Southee zones in on a length and has the batsman playing at every delivery, with just a hint of shape through the air to keep him guessing.
Jeetan Patel completes the two deliveries left over from yesterday for the first over of the day, with a slip, leg-slip, forward short leg and catching midwicket in place. Samaraweera, unsurprisingly, offers a vertical defensive bat.
Hello and welcome to our over-by-over commentary on day five of the second and final Test between Sri Lanka and New Zealand at the P Sara Oval in Colombo.