KEY POINTS:
CHRISTCHURCH - It's hard to pinpoint exactly when Mahela Jayawardene realised he'd just made the biggest mistake of his short captaincy career.
It could have been when he saw his counterpart Stephen Fleming nearly faint with surprise after he elected to bat first on a sporting Jade Stadium
surface, or when he got back to the dressing-room to face an inquisition from his top-order colleagues.
But more than likely, it was when he watched from the stands as fast-bowler Shane Bond set the scene for one of New Zealand's finest bowling performances in recent memory, leaving the first test advantage clearly with the hosts at the end of day one.
Jayawardene's decision to overlook the advice of groundsman Chris Lewis and bat first on the drop-in pitch backfired spectacularly in the face of the barrage; the Sri Lankans being routed for 154 in just 52.4 overs.
In reply, New Zealand recovered from the loss of Jamie How and Mathew Sinclair to reach 85 for two at stumps, and will resume this morning with the recalled Craig Cumming on 37, and Fleming unbeaten on 7.
As much as it was a head-shaking decision from Jayawardene, the blunder was only a costly one because of the quality of the New Zealand pace attack, and the unbearable pressure maintained by Bond, Chris Martin, James Franklin and Jacob Oram.
Three of that four had particular reason to feel delighted: Bond because he was playing his first test at home; Martin because he claimed his 100th test dismissal: and Franklin because - in the lead-up to the match - his place in the side was being debated.
From the moment Bond, starting just his 15th test, ripped the first delivery of the series past the tentative blade of Upal Tharanga, the writing seemed on the wall for the Sri Lankans, who could easily have been dismissed for less than 100.
Bond led the attack superbly, bowling a searching line and length that brought him the first three wickets to fall: Sanath Jayasuriya, Kumar Sangakkara and Jayawardene all back inside the hutch within 11 overs.
The New Zealand spearhead received outstanding support from Martin, who was desperately unlucky not to take a couple of early scalps himself, such was the frequency with which he beat the opposition bats.
It was only after lunch that he reached the milestone, wicket-keeper Prasanna Jayawardene being smartly caught in the slips by How, sparking jubilant celebrations from the bowler and his delighted teammates.
Franklin, who was somehow being talked about as an option for 12th-man duties despite being New Zealand's leading wicket-taker last season, also had reason to feel pleased after slotting in seamlessly at first-change and keeping the visitors under the cosh.
The left-armer struck hard after lunch, having Tharanga caught at gully, clean-bowling debutant Charma Silva with a late in-dipper, and then trapping Chamara Kapugedera in front to leave Sri Lanka staggering at 106 for six.
Oram then played his bit-part with ball, removing Chaminda Vaas and Farveez Maharoof in what was probably New Zealand's most complete bowling effort since they destroyed a star Indian batting line-up in 2002-03.
The Jade pitch played its part in the massacre, providing oodles of pace and bounce early-on, and offering the pacemen all the zip and seam they needed to snatch the initiative and put themselves in the driving seat.
Martin said he was relieved to capture his 100th test wicket after being unable to reach the mark on the tour of South Africa earlier this year.
"It was a long wait but well worth it," the 31-year-old right-armer said at the end of play. "I was getting a bit impatient in my head at times but I managed to pull that back and concentrate on the job at hand," he said.
"The pitch was holding just a fraction and we probably could have bowled a bit fuller on it, but you've got to be happy with that result."
* Stumps day one
SRI LANKA
First innings
U. Tharanga c How b Franklin 33
S. Jayasuriya c Fleming b Bond 5
K. Sangakkara c Sinclair b Bond 4
M. Jayawardene c Franklin b Bond 8
C. Kapugedera lbw Franklin 37
C. Silva b Franklin 0
P. Jayawardene c How b Martin 7
C. Vaas c McCullum b Oram 4
F. Maharoof c Sinclair b Oram 15
L. Malinga not out 7
M. Muralitharan c Astle b Martin 14
Extras (13lb, 1w, 6nb) 20
--Total: (all out, 52.4 overs) 154
Fall: 1/11, 2/17, 3/37, 4/87, 5/87, 6/106, 7/110, 8/121, 9/132, 10/154.
Bowling: S. Bond 13-2-43-3 (1nb), C. Martin 16.4-2-37-2 (3nb, 1w), J. Franklin 12-0-30-3 (2nb), J. Oram 10-5-30-2, N. Astle 1-0-1-0.
NEW ZEALAND
First innngs
C. Cumming not out 37
J. How lbw b Malinga 0
M. Sinclair c P Jayawardene b Vaas 36
S. Fleming not out 7
Extras (5nb) 5
--Total (for 2 wkts, 33 overs) 85
Fall: 1/3, 2/73
Bowling: Vaas 11-2-34-1 (1nb), Malinga 7-2-14-1 (2nb), Maharoof 7-2-25-0 (2nb), Muralitharan 8-1-12-0