Sent in by Bangladesh, New Zealand reached 5-173 in the 18th over when their innings was cut short by rain.

Bangladesh were set a revised winning target of 170 from 16 overs under the Duckworth Lewis system and finished 7-142 after losing their first match.

The series win was New Zealand's seventh at home this season; four of those were in T20s, two in Tests and one in ODIs.

Amid bizarre scenes, Bangladesh began before match referee Jeff Crowe officially calculated their revised total.

The umpires stopped the match with Bangladesh 0-12 after 1.3 overs, waiting for official notification of the new target.

There was a long delay while Crowe worked feverishly at his computer. At one point he had what appeared to be an angry exchange with Bangladesh coach Russell Domingo.

Bangladesh at times looked on pace to succeed in what would have been an extraordinary chase which required them to score mostly at 12 runs per over.

Soumya Sarkar made a half-century from 25 balls and added 81 for the second wicket with Mohammad Naim (38) to raise the hopes of the touring team.

The pair took 19 runs from the sixth over bowled by Ish Sodhi and 20 from the seventh from Adam Milne to briefly drop the required run rate below 10.

But part-time offspinner Glenn Phillips played a vital role, allowing only four runs from the eighth over and nine runs off the 10th. Sodhi gave up five runs off the ninth and the run rate climbed again.

Soumya fell to Southee for 51 in the 11th over and Bangladesh's task became insurmountable.

New Zealand's innings moved in fits and starts, propelled at the end by Phillips who made an unbeaten 58 from 31 balls - his 50 from 27 deliveries - and Daryl Mitchell, who made 34 from 16.

Australian Associated Press