Victories have a habit of papering over most cracks but it is getting increasingly difficult to hide the chasm that has become New Zealand's batting.
The top-order malaise evident at the Champions Trophy has spread to the five-day arena and threatened to take the gloss off a fantasticbowling performance in which Shane Bond, playing his first test on his home ground, was the star.
Captain Stephen Fleming was justifiably buoyant, pointing out his team had just defeated a "very good Sri Lankan side" and saying they always believed run-making would be difficult in this series.
"They've got one of the greatest bowlers the game has ever known. So the onus went on our bowlers to get the 20 wickets, which they did, and we scraped together enough runs with nitty-gritty batting to get us through," Fleming said.
The test ended in a comfortable five-wicket victory for the home team with two days to spare but the chase for 119 was not without the odd speed-bump.
Five top order batsmen perished with varying degrees of indignity, though Mathew Sinclair's sweep straight into the hands of Kumar Sangakkara off Muttiah Muralitharan was not the most career-enhancing shot selection.
Jamie How's struggles at the highest level continued when he was first out, trapped on his crease to the world's best offspinner. Fleming came and went quickly, while Nathan Astle perished in an identical manner to the first innings, stretching forward to Murali but playing the wrong line.
Craig Cumming failed to make the most of another start but if he has any sense, he would have skipped the showers and taken himself straight to the nearest Lotto shop.
Cumming backed up his first innings 43 with the same score but the only reasonable conclusion was no man can have that much luck.
Once in the first innings and twice in the second he trudged off disconsolately after being caught, only to trudge back with a guilty look on his face as the realisation sunk in they were no-balls.
Cumming's critics could claim that 86-5 is not a great return but in between his outrageous fortune, he looked good on a wicket where few New Zealanders distinguished themselves.
