New Zealand women trail 2-1 in the four match series, but needed to win outright to take the title from holders Australia.
The visitors were dismissed for 177 in the first innings, with Nicola Browne’s 42 the top score for her side. In reply Australia’s opener Meg Lanning smashed103 from 50 deliveries to lead the hosts to victory after 21.2 overs.
Lanning made her intentions clear from the start of the Australian pursuit, finding the boundary off the fourth ball of the innings.
As she began to pick up momentum her aggression increased, hitting 18 off the fifth over including three fours and a six.
Alyssa Heally at the other end was accumulating at a steady rate and feeding the strike to Lanning who was relentless in her onslaught. At the end of the fifteenth over she brought up her century off 46 balls.
Lanning fell three runs later to end a first wicket stand worth 146, but the damage was done as Australia went on to wrap up the game and the series.
Heally finished with an unbeaten 62 from 69, while Leah Poulton chipped in with eight not out.
Earlier, Frances Mackay and Suzie Bates had put on 53 for the opening partnership, before a big collapse restricted New Zealand women to below 200 for the first time in the tour.
Having lost the both Mackay (12) and Bates (39) without adding to the total, the White Ferns problems were then compounded by the run-out of recent centurion Amy Satterthwaite on nine.
Nicola Browne (42) and Erin Bermingham (25) were the only other two to make a serious contribution after that, as regular wickets gave the home side the upper-hand.
The innings came to an end after 45.4 overs. Three run-outs were decisive in New Zealand’s collapse, while Erin Osborne also contributed with figures of three for 32 from ten overs.
The fourth and final ODI is on Wednesday.
