Hamilton, February 20:

Craig McMillan and Brendon McCullum blasted New Zealand to a stunning series cleansweep over Australia, negating a magnificent 181 from Matthew Hayden today.

In a match which produced 26 sixes, New Zealand chased Australia’s 346-5 with one wicket and three balls to spare. McCullum struck the winning runs to end unbeaten on 86 off 89 while Craig McMillan engineered the victory with a career-high 117 off 96.

The result further demoralised Australia, who have now lost five matches in a row. When Hayden walked from the pitch unbeaten on 181off 166 balls — the highest score by an Australian in one-day — the Australians were in sight of a consolation win in the Chappell-Hadlee Trophy series.

New Zealand, already 2-0 up, had been set the second highest one-day run chase to win. Australia’s confidence grew as New Zealand stumbled to 4-41 with the new glamour batsman Ross Taylor already back in the pavilion.

But out strode McMillan and the tide turned dramatically. He joined Peter Fulton to put on 75 in 46 balls for the fifth wicket before Fulton fell for 51. Brendon McCullum joined McMillan, and the Macs blasted the Kiwis into contention.

By the time Watson bowled McMillan, New Zealand had the scent of victory with nine overs left and only 66 runs required. Australia came back into the reckoning as Mitchell Johnson winkled out James Franklin and Daryl Tuffey reducing New Zealand to their last two wickets with 44 runs required in five overs.

Mark Gillespie atoned for bowling New Zealand’s most expensive 10-over spell in one-day (2-83) with a quickfire 28. When he departed, McCullum hit a six and four off the first three balls of the final over to complete the rout.

Despite the heroics of McMillan and McCullum, Hayden was the man of the match. His knock included 10 sixes — an Australian record and one short of the world record of 11 sixes. Shane Watson chimed in with 68, but none of the other batsmen stayed long.

SCOREBOARD

AUSTRALIA

M Hayden not out 181

S Watson lbw b Patel 68

B Haddin c Vincent b Tuffey 38

B Hodge b Patel 12

M Hussey c McCullum b Gillespie 13

C White c Styris b Gillespie 13

A Voges not out 16

Extras: 5 (b 1, lb 1, w 1, nb 2)

Total: 346/5 (50 overs)

FoW: 1-122, 2-210, 3-251, 4-279, 5-302

New Zealand bowling: Tuffey 10-0-68-1,

Franklin 10-0-43-0, Gillespie 10-0-83-2,

Patel 10-0-70-2, Styris 8-0-52-0, McMillan 2-0-28-0

NEW ZEALAND

L Vincent c Hogg b Tait 11

S Fleming c Hodge b Tait 9

R Taylor c & b Bracken 11

S Styris c Haddin b Johnson 0

P Fulton c Hussey b Watson 51

C McMillan b Watson 117

B McCullum not out 86

J Franklin c Voges b Johnson 2

D Tuffey c Haddin b Johnson 8

M Gillespie run out 28

J Patel not out 0

Extras: 27 (lb 4, w 22, nb 1)

Total: 350/9 (49.3 overs)

FoW: 1-23, 2-34, 3-38, 4-41, 5-116, 6-281, 7-285,

8-303, 9-339

Australia bowling: Bracken 9.3-0-44-1,

Tait 10-0-60-2, Johnson 10-0-81-3,

Watson 10-0-88-2, Hogg 7-0-40-0, Voges 3-0-33-0