Black Caps on track to win

Taylor was able to hit a few more hefty blows but when he was dismissed for 61 off 67 balls in the 47th over, New Zealand’s innings had lost momentum thanks to some impressive death bowling from Nuwan Kulasekara (three for 53) and Nuwan Pradeep (one for 69).

New Zealand one-day global captain Kane Williamson said he was proud of the improvement his side showed in the fifth and final match of the series against Sri Lanka.

Bay of Plenty’s Trent Boult grabbed the wicket of opener Tillakaratne Dilshan for 5 runs and Dinesh Chandimal for 50.

Sri Lanka were set almost 300 runs to win after Martin Guptill helped the Black Caps to 294 with his 10th ODI century.

But Guptill and Kane Williamson (61) put on 122 for the second wicket to put the Kiwis in charge before the latter gloved a catch on the sweep.

Live updates of the fifth and final ODI between the Black Caps and Sri Lanka at Mount Maunganui.

Guptill hit a supreme 102, with Williamson and Ross Taylor both scoring 61, while Matt Henry (5-40) was superb with the ball in tricky conditions for the bowlers.

Any loose ball was despatched towards the boundary with a Guptill four bringing up their century partnership in 115 balls.

In reply, Sri Lanka were all out for 258 at the start of the 48th over. Matt Henry grabbed two wickets opener Danushka Gunathilaka, 15, and Lahiru Thirimanne, 2.

But when Siriwardana fell to Santner for 39, New Zealand rammed home their advantage and the tail could not support Mathews, who was eighth man out, falling five short of what would have been a deserved century.

Henry, who was only required by New Zealand for three of the five matches, finished with five for 50 to give him 13 wickets in the series, while Boult took three for 43.