Ross Taylor scored a century as New Zealand found form to clinch their series against Bangladesh with a 79-run win.

After early wickets had threatened to again derail the Black Caps' batting performance, Taylor (103) and Jamie How (73) combined for a match-defining 125-run partnership for the third wicket.

Taylor scored the third ODI century, and first outside New Zealand, of his 48-game career from 117 balls as the Kiwis posted their best score of the series, 249 for seven.

In reply a youthful Bangladesh batting line-up, of which their top seven had an average age of just 20, never looked likely of overhauling the victory target.

They were quickly reduced to 59 for five to effectively end their hopes of securing a first series win against a Test-playing nation.

The home side eventually reached 170 for eight, with Jacob Oram again impressing with figures of two for 16.

Before the series the Kiwis would have expected to be going into this game looking to tie up a clean sweep and second place in the world ODI rankings.

Instead they arrived in Chittagong looking to avoid an embarrassing series defeat after their struggles with the bat in the first two games in Mirpur had left them lucky to be level at 1-1.

Bangladesh had claimed a memorable first-ever win against New Zealand in the first match of the series when the tourists could only manage a record low 201 for nine against the Asian nation.

And New Zealand's batting woes looked like continuing early on when they lost openers Jesse Ryder (three) and Brendon McCullum (six) inside the opening seven overs.

How and Taylor then set about rebuilding the innings, bludgeoning some big boundaries.

How reached his fifty in the 22nd over, with eight fours off 55 balls, and received valuable support from Taylor.

The duo had patiently forged their 125-run stand before Naeem Islam found a breakthrough with the last ball of the 32nd over, trapping How in front with a ball that kept low for 73 off 83 balls.

New Zealand employed the powerplay after 35 overs, but it did not go entirely to plan as Scott Styris was out for 12, falling lbw to Al Hasan.

Oram, who had bailed the tourists' top order out in the opening two games with timely half-centuries, was Al Hasan's second victim, caught at deep square leg by Tamim Iqbal, while Flynn added five runs to the total before falling to the bowling of Abdur Razzak.

But Taylor remained a defiant force, sprinkling his innings with some impressive strokeplay that included five fours and four sixes.

The 24-year-old right-hander brought up his century from 117 balls, but was out two balls later when he top-edged Mortaza's full toss to Mushfiqur Rahim behind the wicket.

Daniel Vettori (19 not out) and Kyle Mills (18no) then produced a late flurry of runs to give a healthy look to New Zealand's total.

Bangladesh lost an early wicket in their reply with Junaid Siddique (one) picking out Ryder at mid-on in the third over bowled by Mills.

Iqbal and debutant Imrul Kayes tried to provide a platform for the chase with a 36-run stand for the second wicket, but when they both fell with the score on 49 the hosts' troubles began.

Kayes (12) was first to go when he edged Oram to wicketkeeper McCullum, before Iqbal (35) was dismissed the same way in the next over from Jeetan Patel.

Oram then grabbed the key wicket of Mohammad Ashraful, for just eight, although the Bangladesh captain would have been disappointed with his shot after he walked across the line only to miss his attempted leg-side flick and have his leg stump pegged back.

Al Hasan (one) soon followed when he was caught by Ryder off Patel to leave Bangladesh's hopes in tatters at 59 for five.

The flow of wickets was only halted by a stoic 46-run stand between Islam (46 not out) and Razzak (27) for the eighth wicket.

But by then the game was beyond the hosts with the tail opting to bat out the overs and get in some practice ahead of the two-Test series that begins in Chittagong on Friday.