If Sri Lanka were to win the first Test against New Zealand, they needed rains to stay away and they had their wish as bright sunshine greeted the Galle International Stadium throughout the day and the hosts recorded a thumping 202-run win before tea on the fifth and final day here. The Kiwis had 98 overs to survive to draw the Test after Sri Lanka set them an imposing target of 413, but there was not much of resistance with captain Daniel Vettori hitting the only half-century of the New Zealand innings.

Muttiah Muralitharan with three wickets and Thilan Thushara and Ajantha Mendis with two wickets apiece shared the honours for Sri Lanka, not to forget Mahela Jayawardene and Nuwan Kulasekara, who picked up a wicket each.

New Zealand resuming from the overnight total of 30 for one, lost four wickets before lunch putting their hopes of holding on for a draw in jeopardy.

Thushara picked up the wicket of Martin Guptill squaring the batsman up and clipping his off bail with a delivery that moved late.

Tim McIntosh had to come into bat after 70 minutes of the New Zealand innings had elapsed as he had been out of the field with a stomach bug and the fall of Guptill brought him to the crease.

McIntosh had played a pivotal role in the first innings top scoring for the Kiwis, but there was no resistance from him second time around as he fell for a superb catch by Thilan Samaraweera at third slip to give Thushara his second wicket.

Certain strange moves by Sangakkara during the series against Pakistan had worked for Sri Lanka and his stroke of luck continued when he brought in

Mahela Jayawardene as first change in the morning ahead of Muralitharan and Mendis.

Jayawardene struck with his second delivery, not a wicket taking ball, but a lapse of concentration on the part of Ross Taylor meant that Sri Lanka snapped up the most prized Kiwi scalp with Prasanna Jayawardene taking the catch down the leg side.

Jesse Ryder and Brendon McCullum, two of the leading New Zealand batsmen, had to wait till the fall of the fifth wicket to fall as they had stayed away from the field during the entire Sri Lankan second innings due to illness and that meant that Jacob Oram had to bat at number five with Daniel Vettori occupying the number six position.

Sri Lanka picked up the wicket of Oram as the batsman was ruled out leg before wicket trying to sweep Mendis.

Having arrived at the crease with the total on 45 for four, Vettori batted for two and half hours and went onto post his 20th Test fifty and the fourth against Sri Lanka, fighting a lone battle.

The New Zealand captain who hit 42 runs in the first innings went onto top score hitting 67 runs in 122 deliveries with the help of seven boundaries.

His dismissal 36 minutes after the lunch break, caught behind off Mendis, signaled the end of resistance by the Kiwis.

Muralitharan, who claimed his first wicket when he dismissed Ryder after bowling 17 overs hastened things up by removing Jeetan Patel - thanks to a superb stumping - and Ian O’Brien in quick succession and claimed the last wicket to fall when his direct hit from mid-off found Brendon McCullum short of his crease.

Tillekeratne Dilshan was named Man of the Match for his effort of 92 and unbeaten 123 in the second innings. There was a special award for Muralitharan, who on day four claimed his 100th Test wicket at the Galle International Stadium. The bowler has already claimed 100 wickets in Tests at both Singhalese Sports Club ground and Asgiriya International Cricket Stadium.

(Overnight 30-1)

M Guptill b Thushara 18

D Flynn c P Jayawardene b Kulasekara 0

R Taylor c P J’wardene b M J’wardene 16

T McIntosh c Samaraweera b Thushara 0

J Oram lbw b Mendis 21

D Vettori c P. J’wardene b Mendis 67

J Ryder c P J’wardene b Muralitharan 24

B McCullum run out 29

J Patel st P J’wardene b Muralitharan 22

I O’Brien c Paranavitana b Muralitharan 5

C Martin not out 0

Extras: (4b, 1lb, 3nb) 8

Overs 46.

Fall of wickets: 1-1, 2-37, 3-39, 4-45, 5-86, 6-134, 7 167, 8-204, 9-210, 10-210.

Bowling: Kulasekara 8-2-20-1, Thushara 14-3-37-2, Mendis 18.5-4-50-2, Muralitharan 27-4-88-3, M Jayawardene 4-1-10-1.

Umpires: Daryl Harper, Australia, and Nigel Llong, England.

TV Umpire: Asoka de Silva, Sri Lanka. Match Referee: Andy Pycroft, Zimbabwe.

Toss: Won by New Zealand.

Result: Sri Lanka won by 210 runs.