MASTER BATSMAN: Kane Williamson at the crease for New Zealand yesterday
Usually one chance is all Kane Williamson needs.
Given two lives yesterday on the Basin Reserve, you would bet on New Zealand's batting kingpin now closing it out for his country at the scene of his greatest escape.
Williamson resumes this morning on 80 alongside BJ Watling, the loyal lieutenant of many a Black Caps batting salvage, with the hosts 253-5 and leading Sri Lanka by 118 with two days to play in the second test.
It's nicely poised again and the bookmakers have Sri Lanka slight favourites, deservedly so, but with Williamson's recent formline and past deeds on the track, the Black Caps remain confident they can close out the series after arriving in Wellington 1-0 up.
Just three times has a total of 200-plus been chased down at the Basin, the highest 277-3 by Pakistan in 2003.
Nearly three years ago against South Africa at the same ground, Williamson survived two early drops, one disputed catch and a broken box courtesy of a Dale Steyn thunderbolt to hit a match-saving century.
Yesterday he survived letoffs on 29 and 60, crucial chances as an impressive Sri Lankan side had the hosts on the rack after Kumar Sangakkara's Sunday match-turner.
It wasn't quite the immortal "you've just dropped the World Cup", but maybe a share of the ANZ Trophy slipped from the tourists grasp as well.
"The first two sessions were brilliant. Unfortunately the dropped catch cost us a lot," said Dhammika Prasad, who was mortified to see Sri Lanka's best bowler Nuwan Pradeep shell the offering at long leg after two juggles.
Earlier, with New Zealand leading by one run, spinner Rangana Herath couldn't hold a blistering return catch at chest height.
The 24-year-old plundered four test centuries last year and with 20 more today it will be a fifth in a 12-month period. Williamson was in no hurry and faced an even 200 balls, peppering the boundary just six times as his solid defence and soft hands kept a lively Sri Lankan pace attack at bay.
Watling was a stoic 46 not out, the pair adding an unbroken 94 to lift the Black Caps from strife.
"Kane and BJ are perfect guys to be out there at the moment. They've shown how determined they are, and we've shown when we've been in these situations before how we can get through; India last year and over in Sharjah," opener Tom Latham said.
"We've certainly got fighting characteristics throughout the side and we're looking forward to tomorrow to keep digging in."
Latham felt anything over 200 was a challenging chase and New Zealand would back themselves to defend as much as the current batsmen and reasonably strong tail could eke out.
"You can see how quickly it can change out there. We were 75-0 and then all of a sudden 80-3."
It was jittery for much of the third day on a familiar Basin strip that bowlers had to bend their backs on, and batsmen had to throw it away to get out.
There was a bit of both, notably some more poor selection from the home batsmen.
Openers Latham and Hamish Rutherford posted their first 50-partnership in seven innings, in contrasting style; Latham looking compact and composed, and Rutherford anything but.
Rutherford also received a howler that gave the Black Caps some breathing space.
He gloved one from Prasad, but umpire Steve Davis had his arm out for no ball. Replays showed Prasad's foot was behind the line, but there was no recourse via the decision review system.
Rutherford was a mixed bag. He played some authoritative drives but there was always the feeling his number was up.
After batting nearly two hours for 40, he infuriatingly fell into the short-pitched trap from Pradeep (3-57), cutting to third man with the field back.
It may prolong his test career but he still has technical and temperament worries at the top level where it's now 16 innings without a 50.
It sparked a mini collapse of 3-4 in 30 balls, with Latham (35) driving at a wide one and Ross Taylor fooled by a gem from Herath for a seven-ball duck.
Skipper Brendon McCullum's disappointing test continued, after a dream year.
He batted an hour for 22 before being beaten for pace by Prasad, his DRS review unsuccessful.
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