Australia survived a gutsy fightback from New Zealand to square the inaugural Chappell-Hadlee one-day cricket series at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

In the end, the 17-run margin looked comfortable enough, but as they did in Melbourne on Sunday, the Black Caps threatened to pinch a game they had no apparent right to win.

Chasing 262, a total they had never approached at the SCG, the Kiwis looked down and out at 8-166.

The crowd started leaving, and with Chris Harris, who badly injured a shoulder while fielding, sitting in his training gear with his arm in a sling, only one wicket stood between the Australians and victory.

Enter Kyle Mills (44 off 26 balls) and Daniel Vettori (33 off 36), who put on a record-breaking ninth-wicket stand of 90 which got the Kiwis to within sight of a remarkable victory.

At one stage Mills hit four consecutive sixes off Darren Lehmann and Brad Hogg, getting the New Zealanders to within 30 runs at no more than a run a ball.

The unthinkable for Australia became the unlikely, then the possible, before sanity returned.

The match looked over when Ricky Ponting took deliberate aim and hit the stumps to run out Vettori, but the New Zealanders weren't about to surrender.

Harris had been helped into his batting gear, donned a helmet, and took a runner with him to the centre.

He resisted for a couple of overs before Glenn McGrath shattered his stumps with a yorker to bring down the curtain.

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