Sri Lanka have thumped New Zealand by 10 wickets inside three days in Galle to take a 1-0 lead in their two-match Test series.
The Black Caps resumed day three on 1-33, with a lead of just eight runs, before spinner Rangana Herath (6-43) tore through their batting line-up as they lost 9-83 in the space of 32 overs.
The visitors were bundled out for a paltry 118 and set the hosts a victory target of only 93 which, thanks to openers Dimuth Karunaratne (60 not out) and Tharanga Paranavitana (31 not out), they reached in the 19th over for the loss of no wicket.
Herath's devastating spell, coupled with his first-innings 5-65, saw him claim just the second 10-wicket haul of his 41-Test career, as well as man-of-the-match honours.
At one stage the 34-year-old found himself on a hat-trick when he bowled top-scorer Daniel Flynn (20) and trapped Doug Bracewell (zero) lbw in consecutive balls.
But tailender Tim Southee (16) blocked the next delivery to deny Herath.
Nuwan Kulasekara (2-28) and Suraj Randiv (2-37) were the hosts' other wicket-takers.
The trouble started for New Zealand in the third over of the day when Kulasekara bowled Martin Guptill for 13.
Four overs later, Kulasekara claimed his second victim when he had Kane Williamson (10) caught behind by Prasana Jayawardene to reduce New Zealand to 3-46.
Herath then entered the fray to take the next four wickets as the Black Caps lurched to 7-79, and there was no coming back from there for the tourists.
The second and final Test between the two sides starts on Sunday in Colombo.
First Posted 19 November, 2012 8:53PM AEST
