Australia's status as the world's best ODI side is under question again following a 2-0 series loss to New Zealand, their final 50-over assignment before the Champions Trophy.
An understrength side, minus Test squad members Steve Smith, David Warner, Usman Khawaja, Mitch Marsh and Matthew Wade, suffered a dramatic 24-run defeat in Hamilton on Sunday.
Gun paceman Trent Boult claimed career-best figures of 6-33 in front of a sold-out crowd at Seddon Park. Australia's victory equation was 33 runs required from 33 balls before Boult grabbed the required three wickets to end the match.
Ross Taylor's knock of 107 lifted his side to a total of 9-281. The visitors were all out for 257 in response despite a six-laden stand between Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins worth 51 runs.
Australia relinquished the Chappell-Hadlee trophy and potentially the No.1 ODI ranking, with stand-in skipper Aaron Finch noting his top order let the team down as they did in Auckland.
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The World Cup holders have now lost their past seven completed one-dayers outside Australia.
Plenty of stars missed the trans-Tasman trip, as was the case in a 5-0 thumping dished out by South Africa last October. However, the formline is still far from ideal as Australia bid to reclaim the Champions Trophy at the tournament England will host in June.
"There was a real chance to go with a lot of momentum and give the selectors a real headache with 20 players to pick from for the Champions Trophy," Finch said, having top-scored with 56 but been one of many batsmen to throw their wicket away.
"It's the top order that need to take responsibility for that. Myself and Travis Head in particular (in Hamilton), getting 50s and getting out just doesn't really cut it.
"It's very disappointing ... we had a real confidence we could win this series."
South Africa will top the International Cricket Council's one-day charts if they complete a 5-0 series victory over Sri Lanka. The Proteas currently lead 3-0.
Finch highlighted Marcus Stoinis' arrival as a clear positive from the series that started with Wade suffering a back injury.
Batting, unsurprisingly given the experience and talent unavailable, was Australia's biggest issue. Stoinis' unbeaten knock of 146 was preceded by a collapse of 6-58 in the series opener.
In Hamilton, Shaun Marsh started brightly but was run out needlessly on 22. Peter Handscomb chopped on two balls later. The departure of Finch, caught in the deep trying to hammer Kane Williamson's part-time offspin for a second six, was followed by that of Glenn Maxwell six balls later.
Maxwell unsuccessfully reviewed his caught-behind verdict, having attempted to cut the left-arm spin of Mitch Santner.
The defeat comes as the remaining members of Australia's 16-man Test squad prepare to depart for a training camp in Dubai before a four-Test tour of India. Dubai-bound duo Handscomb and Maxwell were both out without scoring.
"They had a couple of big names missing but you know any Australian side that comes out are going to be extremely hard to beat," NZ skipper Williamson said.
"When we got on top, they never laid down and kept fighting hard and putting us under pressure."
