Muralitharan was able to celebrate yet another 10-wicket haul

Superb bowling by Muttiah Muralitharan secured a comprehensive 217-run win for Sri Lanka over New Zealand as the Test series finished in a 1-1 draw.

Muralitharan finished with 6-87 to claim an impressive ninth five-wicket haul for the year, as Sri Lanka wrapped up the Test with four sessions to go.

New Zealand, needing a notional 504 to win, began day four on 75-2 and were eventually bowled out for 286.

The Wellington win was Sri Lanka's second Test victory in New Zealand.

Despite a defiant eighth wicket stand by Daniel Vettori and James Franklin, who put on 96, New Zealand were unable to cope with Muralitharan's mesmerising spin backed by Lasith Malinga's slingshot speed.

Captain Stephen Fleming and Mathew Sinclair staged a hopeful third-wicket partnership in the day's opening exchanges.

They were together for an hour and put on 55 runs, taking New Zealand's score to 115, before Malinga made the breakthrough.

With his first ball to Fleming he found the edge of the bat for Kumar Sangakkara to take a standard catch behind the stumps and the New Zealand captain was out for 27.

Muralitharan then struck for the first time of the day to dismiss Sinclair for 37, caught at slip off the 'doosra'.

He followed up by trapping Nathan Astle in front for nine and bowling Brendon McCullum for 17.

The unorthodox nature of their attack was always going to pose a problem Stephen Fleming

At lunch New Zealand were 174-7 Chaminda Vaas completed the morning rout with the dismissal of Jacob Oram, and Sri Lanka could smell victory.

Vettori and Franklin staged their brave fightback through the middle session before Muralitharan had Vettori leg before wicket for 51.

After Farveez Maharoof had removed Shane Bond cheaply, Franklin, on 44, tried to bring up his half-century in one hit but a mighty swing at Muralitharan went straight to Chamara Silva at mid-wicket to end the innings.

It gave Muralitharan 10 wickets for the match for the fifth time in his last six Tests.

But the man of the match award went to Silva who overcame a pair in the first Test to set up Sri Lanka's win in the second with a 61 in the first innings and 156 not out in the second.

The series now turns to limited over cricket with two Twenty20 matches before the first of five one-dayers on 28 December.

Fleming paid tribute to Muralitharan and Malinga, who took seven wickets in the match.