Aaron Finch a winning farewell in his final 50-overs appearance. Steve Smith made 105, his 12th ODI century, to help Australia overcome a sluggish start and post a competitive 267-5 on a slow track in Cairns.
New Zealand managed 242 in reply before being all out in 49.5 overs. "It's been a fun ride, like I said yesterday. I've loved every bit of it," Finch, who will continue to lead Australia in Twenty20 games, said. "Sitting around having a beer with your mates in the change room after you win a game or a series is the thing that I miss the most but we'll definitely enjoy tonight." Put into bat, Australia slumped to 16-2 in the sixth over after losing both openers.
Having secured the Chappell–Hadlee Trophy with a match to spare, Australia rested David Warner for the dead rubber. Josh Inglis could not make the most of the opportunity and scored 10 before Trent Boult had him caught behind.
Finch made five in his 146th ODI before being bowled by Tim Southee, finished his one-day career with 5,406 runs including 17 hundreds at an average of 38.89.