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All hail, Ross Taylor! The young man with the cricketing world at his feet wrote another chapter of New Zealand sporting history yesterday by leading his side to a record-breaking win over Australia and their first Chappell-Hadlee series title.
One of biggest movers in one day international cricket
this summer, Taylor smashed a thrilling 117 - his second century of the season after his maiden against Sri Lanka - to transform a distinctly unlikely chase for 337 into one of New Zealand's most memorable triumphs.
Taylor's superhero innings cancelled out a century of equal quality from Australian skipper Michael Hussey and created the launching pad from which New Zealand were able to storm home with five wickets and eight balls to spare.
Back batting at No 3, Taylor dismantled an Australian attack bolstered by the arrival of fast-bowler Shaun Tait, bringing up his half-century off 53 balls, and his century off 102. He hit 15 fours and a six.
His match-winning innings left New Zealand well-placed at 228 for four in the 39th over, at which point the incisive stroke-play of Craig McMillan and Peter Fulton carried the home side to within 24 runs of the target.
McMillan, asked to be the innings "closer", bludgeoned a lightning 52 runs - including seven fours and two sixes - off 30 balls.
Fulton posted an unbeaten 76 off 65 - his fourth ODI half-century.
After McMillan holed out to Hussey, it was left to Brendon McCullum to score the winning runs off Australian veteran Glenn McGrath, sparking jubilant scenes among the 24,052 people at the game and on the New Zealand team balcony, and rendering tomorrow's third game at Hamilton's Seddon Park redundant.
Australia were without front-line players Ricky Ponting, Adam Gilchrist, Andrew Symonds, Brett Lee and Michael Clarke, but seemed to have done enough to avoid what became their fourth consecutive loss.
After failing to adjust to the Wellington wicket three days earlier, the Australians showed no such deficiencies at Eden Park, racking up the highest score at the ground and the third highest ODI total in New Zealand, anchored by a 130-run fourth-wicket stand between Hussey and Brad Hodge.
Hussey, captain in Ponting's absence, struck a wonderful 105 off 84 balls - including eight fours and six sixes - to reinforce his reputation as one of the brightest sparks in the world game.
Hodge was left unbeaten on 97 off 86 balls, the second occasion after his 99 not out against New Zealand at Sydney this summer on which he's been stranded just short of his first ODI century.
Even after the partnership was broken when Hussey was brilliantly caught in the outfield by Taylor, there were still plenty of fireworks as Hodge and Cameron White went on the rampage.
They smashed 84 runs off the last 7.3 overs, barrelling along at 11.2 an over in an innings that included 13 sixes.
Of the New Zealand bowlers, only Shane Bond could curb the Australian stroke-play.
Even spin star Daniel Vettori conceded five boundaries and 54 runs, again showed an inexplicable tendency to at times pitch short.
Without the balance of the injured Jacob Oram, New Zealand skipper Stephen Fleming was forced to use part-timers such as Scott Styris, Craig McMillan and Lou Vincent, who between them gave up 100 runs off 11 overs.
Tuffey's 10 overs cost 80 runs, and Vincent was hit for 22 in two overs.
