The White Ferns have scored a moral victory over Australia, dismissed the world one-day champions inside their allotted 50 overs at Wellington's Basin Reserve.
Opening batter Phoebe Litchfield (50) and allrounder Ash Gardner (74 off 62 balls) both scored half-centuries to carry the Aussies to 290, but left them an over short, after winning the toss and electing to bat first in the third and final international of their three-match Rose Bowl series.
From the outset, Australia scored freely at more than six runs an over, with captain Alyssa Healy and Litchfield sharing an 88-run opening partnership in 14 overs. Spinner Amelia Kerr dragged her team back into the contest, bowling Healy with the second ball of her first over, then repeating the dose on star allrounder Elysse Perry.
Litchfield departed three balls later, caught by Suzie Bates, off Rosemary Mair's bowling. When Beth Mooney also fell cheaply, the NZ women had taken three wickets for 11 runs in the space of three overs.
Gardner joined Annabel Sutherland at the crease for a 63-run stand that steadied the innings, before Sutherland — a centurion in her previous two ODI outings — returned a catch to bowler Sophie Devine for 42.
Gardner continued to plunder some wayward bowling that conceded 36 extras, substantially supplementing the batting effort. She eventually went the same way as Healey and Perry, bowled by Kerr, who then trapped spin-bowler Alana King leg before wicket in the same over for figures of 4/54.
When Kim Garth was caught off Mair's bowling, Australia had been dismissed in a one-day international for the first time since 2019.
The visitors have a stranglehold on the trans-Tasman silverware, after the opening encounter was rained out and a 65-run weather-shortened victory in the second. This is the 200th encounter between the rivals, who are respective world champions in one-day (Australia) and Twenty20 (NZ) formats.
Both teams were unchanged from the second match. New Zealand can qualify for the next World Cup with victory.
Australia 290 (Gardner 74, Litchfield 50, Sutherland 42, Healy 39; Kerr 4/54, Mair 3/58) off 49.0 overs
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