Wellington New Zealand beat Sri Lanka by 21 runs in the fourth match of the five-match One-Day series on Friday to go up 4-0 with the final match of the series scheduled to take place in Napier on Saturday.
The hosts, unklike the previous matches in the series, chose to bat first after winning the toss and scored 224 runs.
The Kiwi bowlers then bowled a superb line and length to dismiss Sri Lanka for 203 in the 47th over.
Sri Lankan wicketkeeper Kumar Sangakkara hit a fighting 52 while Shane Bond took three for 39 for New Zealand.
James Franklin and off spinner Jeetan Patel, playing his first match on his home soil, taking two wickets each.
In New Zealand's innings, Peter Fulton and Hamish Marshall both scored 50, while Sri Lankan pacer, Chaminda Vaas took five for 39.
Chasing a modest 225 for victory, Sri Lanka were coasting at 92-1 in the 15th over, but they capitulated like sides do when they have forgotten how to win.
Patel began with an eight-over spell which conceded just 16 runs and netted him the wicket of opener Jehan Mubarak (52). He returned to bowl in the slog overs and finished with the figures of 2-23 from 10 overs.
"My confidence went up after the first couple of overs and that helped. I was trying to stop myself from searching for wickets. Every time at the top of my mark I would tell myself to bowl a dot ball," Patel said.
The final script was written by the fiery pace of Bond, who had tailender Malinga Bandana sky a ball to the safe hands of Scott Styris running back from extra cover.
Last man Dilhara Fernando joined Bandara at exact the same score as Bond joined James Franklin in the New Zealand innings.
Franklin and Bond edged New Zealand from 189-9 to 206 at the start of the 50th over, with Franklin smashing 18 off Fernando's over.
Later Kiwi skipper Stephen Fleming said they would not automatically bat first in Napier because winning was more important.
"We've got to be very careful we don't get too funky, because we are not good enough to do that. We'll assess the Napier pitch, if it's 50-50 we'll lean toward batting but we won't compromise the opportunity to win 5-0," he said.
New Zealand have chosen to bat first on a handful of occasions on foreign soil but it is almost two years since they won the toss and elected to bat in home conditions, the last time being against Pakistan at the Westpac Stadium on January 17, 2004.
From start to virtually the finish last night they made a hash of things and it required a last over flourish by Franklin to give New Zealand a target to bowl at.
If there was a silver lining to proceedings it was a confidence boosting half century by Hamish Marshall, who knocked the ball into gaps at one end while all sorts of disasters happened at the other.
Marshall made a well compiled 50, his highest score in 11 one-day innings dating back to his 28 against Australia at Eden Park in February last year.
But just like fellow half century-maker Peter Fulton, no sooner had he acknowledged the applause of the 16,236 strong crowd than he was making his way back to the pavilion.
New Zealand were brought to their knees chiefly by their own timid performance but also by a disciplined effort by the Vaas.
New Zealand lost both openers before the completion of the fourth over and for Jamie How (5) it means runs are vital in Napier if he is to feel secure in his position for the five match series against the West Indies.
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