The century I got is very pleasing but the others contributed as well. Hashan Tillakaratne More reaction First Test photos from Colombo

Sri Lanka's Muttiah Muralitharan took three wickets to leave New Zealand's second innings teetering, but it was too late to force a result in the first Test.

Knowing a draw was almost certain when they began their second innings, the Kiwis slipped to 161-5 by the time stumps were drawn.

Skipper Stephen Fleming followed his first-innings double-century with an unbeaten 69.

That gave him 343 runs in all, a New Zealand record and the 12th highest individual total ever from a single Test.

After having Mathew Sinclair caught at short-leg, Muralitharan dismissed Jacob Oram and Robbie Hart in the space of four balls to get into the Kiwi lower order.

And there were two wickets for debutant leg-spinner Kaushalya Lokuarachchi, who trapped opener Matthew Horne lbw for 42 and dealt with Scott Styris in similar fashion.

Mark Richardson was forced to bat out the final 18 overs with his skipper, despite a hamstring injury.

Earlier Sri Lanka skipper Hashan Tillakaratne was finally dismissed for 144, bowled off the inside edge by paceman Shane Bond, who took 3-97.

Lokuarachchi hit three fours and a six in an unbeaten 28, but lacked support as spinner Daniel Vettori polished off the tail in the space of five deliveries.

He won lbw decisions against Kumar Dharmasena (31), Prabath Nissanka and Muralitharan from the second, third and last balls of his 33rd over to finish with 3-94.

New Zealand: Stephen Fleming (capt), Matthew Horne, Mark Richardson, Matthew Sinclair, Scott Styris, Robbie Hart, Jacob Oram, Daryl Tuffey, Daniel Vettori, Paul Wiseman, Shane Bond.

Sri Lanka: Hashan Tillakaratne (capt), Sanath Jayasuriya, Marvan Atapattu, Kumar Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardena, Romesh Kaluwitharana, Muttiah Muralitharan, Kumar Dharmasena, Kaushalya Lokuarachchi, Chaminda Vaas, Prabath Nissanka.

Umpires: Daryl Harper, Simon Taufel.