Taylor was New Zealand's main threat with the bat (Library picture)

Ross Taylor was New Zealand's hero as they won the first game of their one-day international series against Australia in Perth by two wickets.

Kyle Mills took 4-35 as Ricky Ponting's side were bowled out for 181.

The Kiwis were reduced to 25-3 but Taylor then took charge, until he was superbly caught by Michael Clarke for 64 with 12 still needed off 15 balls.

Nathan Bracken bowled Tim Southee in the last over, but Daniel Vettori saw his side home off the final delivery.

Jeetan Patel had levelled the scores with a single off the fifth ball of the over, and Vettori won it in style with a four through point.

Having just gone down 4-1 to South Africa, it was the first time Australia had suffered four consecutive ODI defeats since they lost five on the bounce against New Zealand and England in February 2007.

606: DEBATE Well done to the Kiwis - Australia looking like a very average team at the moment Surrey_Fan

Mills removed openers Shaun Marsh and David Warner, both to catches by the tall Peter Fulton at short cover, while some sparkling Kiwi fielding by rookies Neil Broom and Martin Guptill saw both Ponting and Clarke run out.

And when David Hussey was caught down the leg side by wicketkeeper Brendon McCullum off Patel's first ball, the home side were in serious trouble.

Mike Hussey (49) and Brad Haddin (31) were able to stage a partial recovery, while skipper Vettori was the model of economy - his 10 overs of left-arm spin yielding just 22 runs.

Iain O'Brien grabbed two wickets, while the returning Mills took two more as the Australians were eventually skittled out with eight balls of the innings remaining.

But if Ponting's batsmen had failed to set a challenging target, his bowlers gave them a good start and kept them in contention throughout the innings.

McCullum, passed fit to play and keep wicket despite a hip injury, was trapped lbw by Shaun Tait off the second ball of the innings, while Guptill and Fulton fell soon after each other as Bracken and Mitchell Johnson turned the screw with a succession of maiden overs.

Taylor, though, was able to forge his side back into contention, and although he lost Grant Elliott cheaply, he added 42 with Broom (29) and 62 with Mills (26), whose all-round efforts earned him the man-of-the-match award.

Broom's dismissal had an air of controversy, as he walked when he thought he had been bowled by Clarke - TV replays indicated that the ball did not hit the stumps, but keeper Brad Haddin's gloves dislodged the bails as he caught the ball.

Bracken took 3-38 with some superb "death" bowling (Library picture)

But the pendulum swung back to Australia when Mills was yorked by Tait, Taylor sliced Bracken to backward point and Vettori survived a close run-out decision when he was given the benefit of the doubt by the third umpire.

Tait (2-40) and Bracken (3-38) kept it tight at the death, but just five runs were needed off the last over.

Southee's dismissal off the second ball gave the Aussies hope, but Patel and Vettori calmly stroked the singles they needed to level the scores off the penultimate delivery.

Patel removed his helmet and a glove, preparing to run on the last ball, but no running was needed as Vettori found the boundary.

"It's a bit easier when it's one run a ball needed," the skipper said.

"I told Jeetan we'd get the tie out of the way and then win it on the last ball.

"But our fielding was exceptional, and Ross set it up for us to win.

"Hopefully we can get Jesse Ryder fit for the second match - Scott Styris may struggle to make it for this series, but if Jacob Oram comes through some domestic cricket we'll see if we can get him back."

Ponting added: "It was a good fight, but New Zealand outplayed us.

"We never got any momentum with our batting, but our bowling was very good to put us in with a chance in the last over."

Ponting was later fined 20% of his match fee for Australia's slow over-rate, while his team-mates were fined 10% of theirs.

The Aussies were adjudged by match referee Roshan Mahanama to be two overs short of their target when time allowances were taken into consideration.

The next match takes place in Melbourne on Friday.

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