<p class="title">Sri Lanka battled to a rain-affected draw in the first Test against New Zealand on Wednesday after the Black Caps were unable to break an epic stand by Kusal Mendis and Angelo Mathews.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The tourists were 287 for three in their second innings -- still nine runs away from an innings defeat -- when the umpires called time with only 13 overs bowled on the final day.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Mendis was unbeaten on 141 and Mathews 120 not out at stumps after a stubborn 274-run stand that, along with the weather, allowed Sri Lanka to salvage a draw.</p>.<p class="bodytext">New Zealand captain Kane Williamson was left to rue missed opportunities after controlling the match for three days then failing to land a killer blow.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"Obviously it's a shame to have the weather around today because we felt if we could pick up a wicket and get into their lower order, there was still very much a chance of a result," he said.</p>.<p class="bodytext">New Zealand's early dominance was built on a mammoth 578 in the first innings, featuring an unbeaten 264 from Tom Latham.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The left-hander's career-best effort overhauled former England captain Alastair Cook's 244 as the highest score by an opener carrying their bat in Test history.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The emphatic performance should have given the New Zealand bowlers two full days to attack a Sri Lanka line-up that showed little fight in the first innings, but Mathews and Mendis responded with a masterclass of their own.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The pair came together late on day three with Sri Lanka reeling at 13 for three in their second dig, trailing New Zealand's first inning total by 296.</p>.<p class="bodytext">They batted through the whole of day four, fending off a barrage of bouncers from the New Zealanders.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"Both boys out there showed a lot of character," said skipper Dinesh Chandimal. "They fought hard when the situations came."</p>.<p class="bodytext">It was the only time in New Zealand that a full day's play has been completed without a Test wicket falling, and the first time anywhere since South Africa achieved the feat against Bangladesh in Chittagong in 2008.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The partnership was also a Sri Lankan record against the Black Caps.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The draw snaps Sri Lanka's four-Test losing streak against the Black Caps on New Zealand soil.</p>.<p class="bodytext">It will give the world's sixth-ranked team confidence after they arrived in New Zealand smarting from a 3-0 Test whitewash against England last month.</p>.<p class="bodytext">They have also had to contend with disarray in their coaching and selection ranks.</p>
<p class="title">Sri Lanka battled to a rain-affected draw in the first Test against New Zealand on Wednesday after the Black Caps were unable to break an epic stand by Kusal Mendis and Angelo Mathews.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The tourists were 287 for three in their second innings -- still nine runs away from an innings defeat -- when the umpires called time with only 13 overs bowled on the final day.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Mendis was unbeaten on 141 and Mathews 120 not out at stumps after a stubborn 274-run stand that, along with the weather, allowed Sri Lanka to salvage a draw.</p>.<p class="bodytext">New Zealand captain Kane Williamson was left to rue missed opportunities after controlling the match for three days then failing to land a killer blow.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"Obviously it's a shame to have the weather around today because we felt if we could pick up a wicket and get into their lower order, there was still very much a chance of a result," he said.</p>.<p class="bodytext">New Zealand's early dominance was built on a mammoth 578 in the first innings, featuring an unbeaten 264 from Tom Latham.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The left-hander's career-best effort overhauled former England captain Alastair Cook's 244 as the highest score by an opener carrying their bat in Test history.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The emphatic performance should have given the New Zealand bowlers two full days to attack a Sri Lanka line-up that showed little fight in the first innings, but Mathews and Mendis responded with a masterclass of their own.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The pair came together late on day three with Sri Lanka reeling at 13 for three in their second dig, trailing New Zealand's first inning total by 296.</p>.<p class="bodytext">They batted through the whole of day four, fending off a barrage of bouncers from the New Zealanders.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"Both boys out there showed a lot of character," said skipper Dinesh Chandimal. "They fought hard when the situations came."</p>.<p class="bodytext">It was the only time in New Zealand that a full day's play has been completed without a Test wicket falling, and the first time anywhere since South Africa achieved the feat against Bangladesh in Chittagong in 2008.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The partnership was also a Sri Lankan record against the Black Caps.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The draw snaps Sri Lanka's four-Test losing streak against the Black Caps on New Zealand soil.</p>.<p class="bodytext">It will give the world's sixth-ranked team confidence after they arrived in New Zealand smarting from a 3-0 Test whitewash against England last month.</p>.<p class="bodytext">They have also had to contend with disarray in their coaching and selection ranks.</p>