Sri Lanka struggled in reply against New Zealand as they slumped to 78-5 after bowling the home side out for 221 on day one of the second Test at Wellington.

The Kiwis started the evening session on 192-7 with Mark Craig and Doug Bracewell unbeaten at the crease, but Craig soon departed for seven when he fell to the bowling of Suranga Lakmal.

Tim Southee lasted just one ball as he was caught by Kumar Sangakkara off Nuwan Pradeep to leave the hosts 195-5.

Trent Boult and Bracewell blasted the ball around for five overs before Bracewell was out for 16 to end the innings on 221 as Dhammika Prasad clinched his second wicket.

Sri Lanka got off to a slow start as Dimuth Karunaratne and Kaushal Silva played cautiously at the start of the innings.

Karunaratne became the first wicket of the innings to fall as he edged a delivery from Boult into the hands of James Neesham for 16, while Silva departed for five when he knocked the ball back onto his own stumps.

Bracewell notched his second wicket of the innings as Lahiru Thirimanne was caught by Brendon McCullum to leave the tourists reeling at 29-3.

Sangakkara and Angelo Mathews steadied the ship as they guided their team past the 50-run mark, while Sangakkara became the first Sri Lanka to pass 12,000 runs in Test cricket along the way.

Mathews's resistance was ended as he was caught behind by BJ Watling for 15 off the bowling of Southee as the home side began to turn the screw.

Prasanna Jayawardene became the final victim of the day as he edged to slip to leave his side in trouble at 78-5, trailing New Zealand by 143 runs with just five first-innings wickets remaining.