New Zealand relied heavily on the all-round talents of Jacob Oram to dig them out of trouble and claim a series-levelling 75-run win against Bangladesh on Saturday.

The Black Caps, already trailing 1-0 in the series following their first-ever defeat to the Bangladeshis on Thursday, were staring down the barrel of another shock loss when they were reduced to 115 for seven.

But Oram stood firm in the crisis to patiently bring up his half-century, before smashing 25 from the final over to help New Zealand post a defendable 212 for nine.

Oram's final-over fireworks, from the bowling of Abdur Razzak, included three straight sixes to leave him unbeaten on 75 and shift the momentum of a game that had been drifting the home side's way.

And after Kyle Mills immediately undermined the Bangladesh run chase by removing opener Tamim Iqbal with the second ball of the innings, Oram proved his value in the field claiming two wickets and two catches to complete a memorable all-round display.

The 30-year-old included the key wicket of Mohammad Ashraful among his scalps, removing the Bangladesh skipper for 40, following which the home side quickly folded to be all out for 137.

At the change of innings Bangladesh looked on course for their first-ever series victory against New Zealand after another impressive display in the field.

Syed Rasel was the pick of the bowlers for Bangladesh as he claimed three for 23 from his 10 overs, and if it were not for Oram's late heavy hitting they would have restricted the Kiwis to a lower mark than the 201 for nine they had managed in the Tigers' seven-wicket win on Thursday.

But their good work in the field soon looked in danger of being undone when Iqbal was adjudged leg before wicket for a duck from the second ball of the reply.

Mills struck again in the ninth over when he bowled Mushfiqur Rahim (11) to prompt a laboured recovery mission from Junaid Siddique and Ashraful.

The pair took 17.2 overs to compile their 53-run stand before Siddique departed trying to up the scoring rate, caught by Daniel Vettori off the bowling of Tim Southee.

Wickets then fell consistently thereafter, although the home side retained some hope while Ashraful remained at the crease.

But Oram accounted for his wicket in the 37th over, when the Bangladesh skipper offered a faint nick to Brendon McCullum who held on to the chance.

From there the wickets fell quickly with Mills picking up the final wicket of Mashrafe Mortaza (27) to finish with figures of three for 13.

Earlier, Rasel took three early wickets to put Bangladesh in the driving seat.

After dismissing Brendon McCullum (12), Rasel then removed Jamie How (nought) and Jesse Ryder (30) in quick succession.

And when Mortaza had Scott Styris (nought) caught by Siddique at first slip the Kiwis had lost three wickets for the addition of just two runs to dip them into trouble.

Daniel Flynn and Ross Taylor attempted to right the ship in a patient 41-run stand for the fifth wicket.

Their blossoming stand was cut short when Flynn misjudged a Naeem Islam delivery and was bowled for 25.

And while Taylor briefly showed signs of aggression with consecutive sixes off Islam, he was also soon back in the pavilion when cutting a short Shakib Al Hasan delivery to Siddique at backward point for 33.

Skipper Daniel Vettori could only add a further run after he spooned a leading edge back to Islam off his own bowling to leave the Kiwis at 115 for seven.

That left Oram as the only recognised batsman and, after hitting a half century on Thursday, he would again prove the tourists' go-to man in a crisis.

After seeing his side through to the final over the all-rounder opened his shoulders with a stunning blitz that yielded 25 runs.