Muttiah Muralidharan being congratulated by teammates after dismissing Mathew Sinclair on Monday. (AP)

Wellington: A superb spell of spin bowling by Muttiah Muralidharan secured a comprehensive 217-run win for Sri Lanka over New Zealand in the second Test here on Monday to level the series 1-1.

Muralidharan finished with six for 87 to claim his ninth five-wicket haul this year (19th overall), as Sri Lanka wrapped up the Test with four sessions to spare.

They had set New Zealand the improbable target of 504, but the home side had never batted with authority in the series and the outcome always seemed inevitable.

Despite a defiant eighth-wicket stand of 96 between Daniel Vettori and James Franklin, New Zealand were unable to cope with Muralidharan’s mesmerising spin backed by Lasith Malinga’s slingshot speed.

Their second innings ended at 286, shortly before the scheduled tea break on the fourth day. Vettori provided the innings’ only half-century.