Jimmy Neesham has come to the party again and bludgeoned the Blackcaps to another commanding total at the Bay Oval.

Sri Lanka will be chasing 320 to win the second One Day International tonight and keep themselves in with a chance of winning the three match series after going down to the Blackcaps in the first match on Thursday by 45 runs.

New Zealand's total of 319 for seven included 87 off 77 balls from opener Colin Munro, and 90 from Ross Taylor who fell to an unlucky runout as a century looked within sight.

With the Blackcaps innings looking for a lift at 208 for 4 wickets in the 38^th over Neesham stepped up and obliged, hammering 64 off 37 balls.

Ross Taylor on his way to 90

Earlier Martin Guptill and Kane Williamson fell cheaply, for 13 and one respectively, before Munro and Taylor came together to put up a 112 run partnership for the third wicket.

A tighter bowling performance from Sri Lanka, along with a Bay Oval pitch playing slightly slower than on Thursday, put the brakes on the Blackcaps scoring and ensured they couldn't achieve the same sort of total they made in the first ODI when they reached 371.

320 will take some getting for Sri Lanka, but should set up a engrossing match tonight.

Henry Nicholls drives through the covers on his way to adding 32 to the Blackcaps total of 319