Steve Smith has ensured Australia will have a strong total to defend in skipper Aaron Finch's final ODI after his 105-run knock anchored the hosts' 5-267 total in their third match against New Zealand in Cairns.
Retiring ODI captain Finch didn't have his fairytale farewell innings but the total still leans towards a series sweep for Australia, who lost the toss before hitting the highest score of the Chappell-Hadlee series thus far.
The Black Caps took key early wickets again but lightning didn't strike thrice as Smith and Marnus Labuschagne's 118-run partnership prevented the visitors from effecting a third straight top order collapse.
Trent Boult cleaned up Australia's top order in the first two ODIs and looked ominous again after having Josh Inglis caught behind in the fourth over.
Finch was clean bowled by Tim Southee in the next, departing for five runs off 13 balls and walking off to a standing ovation in his 146th and final ODI.
But then Smith and Labuschagne came to the middle and wouldn't bite on anything the Black Caps' threw at them.
The hosts were 2-19 after 10 overs as New Zealand clearly won the powerplay yet again, but the fidgety Australian duo bided their time to inch the total upwards.
The pair raised the bat within an over of each other, for Smith his 28th ODI half century and Labuschagne his fifth, before the latter departed through a mistimed pullshot off Lockie Ferguson.
Smith then became just the third Australian to score an ODI century this year, after Travis Head and Ben McDermott, before Mitchell Santner ended his 131-ball stay in the 45th over.
Labuschagne (52 off 78), Alex Carey (42n.o. off 43) and Cameron Green (25n.o. off 12) added valuable runs, leaving the Black Caps to chase a hefty target under lights for a first win over Australia in any format since 2011.
