Sydney: Chasing 151, New Zealand came close to overwhelming the target before losing McCullum at a crucial juncture and eventually finishing at 149 for five wickets.

Needing 14 runs off the last over of the bowling of Nathan Bracken, Nathan McCullum (10 not out) - Brendon's elder brother - hit a four and a six off the last two balls but that was still not enough in the end.

Bracken became just the second Australian bowler to register a maiden in Twenty20 internationals with his first over to Peter Fulton, then proceeded to tie down the lively McCullum for a further four deliveries before conceding a run.

Earlier, a Brad Haddin-led Australia got off to a brisk start before losing momentum and it took useful contributions from David Hussey (41), Adam Voges (26) and David Warner (23) to reach a modest total of 150 for seven.

McCullum responded by hitting Hopes for a six followed by back-to-back fours to reach his fifty in that productive 17th over that yielded 20 runs.

Earlier, Haddin, making his captaincy debut, won the toss and decided to bat first but Australia posted a score that was far from intimidating.

Haddin (15) and Warner (23) began on a brisk note, adding 34 runs before Tim Southee caught the stand-in Aussie skipper off his bowling in the fourth over to draw the first blood.

Four runs later, Warner, who was going great guns, joined Haddin at the pavilion, caught by Daniel Vettori off Iain O'Brien.

Australia subsequently found boundaries were not easy to come by. Next man in Callum Ferguson (8) could not set alight the Sydney Cricket Ground either and fell to fellow debutant Ian Butler.

At 52 for three after seven overs, things were hardly rosy for the hosts but Hussey (41) and Voges (26) then decided to do the bailout act, stitching together a 52-run stand in 7.5 overs, and managed to keep the scoreboard ticking as Vettori and Butler came up with stifling spells.

Hussey ran hard between the wickets and occasionally unleashed himself, like hitting a Grant Elliot low full toss for a flat six.

Elliot, however, made amends in the same over when, two balls later, he trapped Voges plumb in front. Next man in Cameron White (16) hit a massive six off Butler before falling to O'Brien.

In between, Hussey too perished when Vettori had him caught by Neil Broom after a 39-ball 41.

Brief Score: Australia 150/7 (Hussey 41) beat New Zealand 149/5 (McCullum 61) by 1 run.