New Zealand threw away a winning position in the closing overs as South Africa beat them by three runs in the third Twenty20 in Auckland to claim the series 2-1.

SCORECARD

Chasing down South Africa's 165 for seven, the Black Caps measured their reply expertly for 15 overs to leave 25 for victory with 30 balls left.

But a series of dot balls and wickets from the Proteas pegged them back and left them somehow needing four off the final delivery, which they could not achieve.

Richard Levi, who hit a record 13 sixes in the previous match, managed one more maximum batting at the top of the South Africa innings but fell for 11 to James Franklin.

Albie Morkel, in at number three, came and went for nine before Doug Bracewell claimed the key scalp of Hashim Amla, whose 33 took just 22 balls to compile.

Like Amla, captain AB de Villiers and JP Duminy got good starts but failed to kick on to a major score.

De Villiers was castled for 29 by Rob Nicol, who went on to run out Duminy for an innings best of 38.

Nicol struck again when he pinned Justin Ontong leg before but the tourists - who managed seven sixes and 13 fours in the innings - enjoyed a late flourish from Wayne Parnell (22no) and Robin Peterson (11no).

Tim Southee, who took two for 22 in four economical overs, and Nicol - with two for 20 from his three-over spell - were the pick of the New Zealand bowlers.

Nicol and Martin Guptill then set about their target with gusto, playing their shots from the off as they scored 55 without loss from the opening five-over burst.

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Guptill welcomed Morne Morkel to the attack by clearing the ropes off the first ball of the sixth over, but the seamer soon had the breakthrough as Nicol top-edged to fine leg to depart for an explosive 33.

Guptill followed his fellow opener six balls later for 26, Amla pouching him at long-off to hand Johan Botha a wicket.

Brendon McCullum and Jesse Ryder were next at the crease and continued the rapid scoring rate as South Africa struggled to stem the boundaries.

McCullum was caught at the wicket off Peterson for 18 but Ryder looked increasingly comfortable with his task, lifting Peterson for two sixes in the 14th over.

Ten more runs off the 15th over left the more than manageable task of 25 runs for five overs.

Kane Williamson (six) was gone three balls later but eight runs off the over kept the hosts on course.

Things went wrong when Ryder moved to 49 and faced six successive dot balls as he looked for his half-century.

That slowed New Zealand down but by the time Ryder fell for 52 from 42 balls to the canny Botha they were still, favourites with seven needed off the last over.

But Marchant de Lange held his nerve to claim the wickets of Nathan McCullum and Bracewell and leave six needed off one ball.

He then bowled a no-ball which was driven for one by Franklin but Southee could not make contact with the extra delivery, with a boundary needed to win it.