Kamindu Mendis continued his phenomenal start in Test cricket, hitting his fourth red-ball ton as Sri Lanka ended the day 302-7 versus New Zealand at the Galle International Stadium.

Mendis struck 114 runs from 173 deliveries before being caught by Daryl Mitchell, with the tourists picking up two late wickets to keep themselves in with a chance.

Sri Lanka got off to a poor start with the losses of Dimuth Karunaratne (two) and Pathum Nissanka (27) to Will O'Rourke inside the first six overs.

New Zealand's persistence continued to pay off after lunch as they grabbed a further three wickets, only for Mendis to come to the crease and steady the ship.

He formed a steady partnership alongside Kusal Mendis, going on to notch 11 fours during his 273 minutes on the field before his day came to an end.

Ramesh Mendis (14 not out) and Prabath Jayasuriya (0 not out) were left in play at stumps on what was a promising start for the hosts.

Data Debrief: Mendis the man

Mendis has set the world of Sri Lankan cricket alight since his debut, with his performance against New Zealand his fourth Test 100 in just his seventh appearance in the format.

To go along with his phenomenal record, he has also now scored more than 50 runs in eight Test matches too.