''Ross did what we needed, someone getting 100 and batting through the difficult part. Ross held it together beautifully for New Zealand."
No wonder the New Zealand players whooped about at the fall of the final wicket. They'd had it tough in Australia in December, getting dusted 3-0 playing below par cricket.
This time they turned the tables, a 2-0 win over Australia nothing to sneeze at. It also lifts their home record to 22 wins in the last 24 completed ODIs in New Zealand.
The contest was in the balance as Australia, like New Zealand, stumbled and stuttered along.
But the packed crowd of 9539 let out an almost audible collective sigh when Marcus Stoinis, plunderer of a stunning 146 at Eden Park last weekend, clubbed a catch to long on for 42, just as he seemed set to launch again. That was Australia done, you sensed.
In which case more fool you, as fast pair Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins rattled on 50 in 30 balls, with belligerent hitting.
Australia needed 32 off 30 balls but Adam Zampa gave Ross Taylor a catch at wide slip before Boult finished it off. He's taken 17 wickets in his last five home ODIs against Australia.
Earlier Australia had lost wickets in clumps - two in three balls, then two in seven then another two for one in a Boult over.
New Zealand at one point put a crimp in Australia's march conceding just six runs in four overs; Australia then took 25 off the 29th and 30th. It was all topsy turvy, and it was left to Boult to apply the coup de grace.
New Zealand's innings alternated between slick and slow, but without Taylor's terrific century they would have been in a sorry state.
He had Dean Brownlie for company, adding 100 for the third wicket at run-a-ball rate, but while Taylor fair rattled along, Brownlie was restricted to singles for some time.
It was his best ODI score and reinforced his status as next batsman in waiting when the injured Martin Guptill returns.
Taylor, meanwhile, nailed three fours in one Josh Hazlewood overs and was away.
His runs, which came both with a crunch and a deft touch by turn, including a period of 29 singles in succession from 68 to 97.
Brownlie's dismissal was the cue for a stumble, three wickets going for 11 in 17 balls as Australia's seamers went to work.
The clamp was on as just 36 runs came from 10 overs from the 35th. The last five produced 52, mainly thanks to Mitchell Santner. The 50th from Starc, read wicket, wicket, no ball, dot ball, 4, 4, 6. Important runs as it transpired.
