Ross Taylor, the young man with the cricketing world at his feet, wrote another chapter of New Zealand sporting history yesterday by leading his side to a record-breaking win over Australia and their first Chappell-Hadlee series title.
One of the biggest movers in one-day international cricket this summer,Taylor smashed a thrilling 117 - his second century of the season after his maiden against Sri Lanka - to transform a distinctly unlikely chase for 337 into one of New Zealand's most memorable triumphs.
Taylor's superhero innings cancelled out a century of equal quality from Australian skipper Michael Hussey and created the launching pad from which New Zealand were able to storm home with five wickets and eight balls to spare.
Back batting at No 3, Taylor dismantled an Australian attack bolstered by the arrival of fast bowler Shaun Tait, bringing up his half-century off 53 balls, and his century off 102. He hit 15 fours and a six.
"I was a bit scratchy early on and had a bit of luck but to score a hundred and contribute to a win, I'm fairly happy," said Taylor.
Hussey singled out Taylor's innings as a big factor in the result. "He played very well. It was his day today. There were a couple of close shaves but he played to his strengths and was able to find the boundary."
New Zealand skipper Stephen Fleming said it was a great feeling for the team to perform so well in the face of adversity and against the world's best team.
"It's been an amazing day, a really amazing day.
"It's great for the game, and great for us to get across the line in a big-scoring match, in a close game, and against Australia. We're just delighted we've done so well in front of a home crowd."
However, Fleming said the team hadn't attempted anything different from what they were trying earlier in the season, when they shared a series against Sri Lanka and were eliminated prematurely from the tri-series.
"We're doing nothing differently than we were a couple of weeks ago, and that's what I've been trying to explain over the past month."
