rounder Cameron Green thwarted New Zealand with a sparkling, unbeaten century after the hosts' seamers threatened to dominate the opening day of the first test against Australia in Wellington on Thursday.

Running out of batting partners, Green brought up his second test ton on the penultimate ball of the day, smashing rookie seamer Will O'Rourke past backward point to the fence as Australia went to stumps at 279 for nine at the Basin Reserve.

The 24-year-old survived the final ball to march off unbeaten on 103, with tailender Josh Hazlewood yet to score.

"It obviously feels pretty good ... It was a pretty tough wicket out there," said Green, who kissed the crest on his helmet after bringing up his hundred.

"I thought the boys played pretty well.

"It was nice to kind of stick out there and hopefully put a semi-competitive total on the board."

Green's century and a rollicking, 132-run final session ensured Australia narrowly took honours on a pulsating day one, having been sent in to bat on a green-top pitch after home captain Tim Southee won the toss.

Matt Henry took four wickets, while Scott Kuggeleijn took two victims as the fourth seamer, with selectors opting for more pace rather than the slow-bowling all-rounder Mitch Santner.

New Zealand's bowlers swung the ball menacingly but were sometimes wayward and ultimately expensive, racking up 30 runs in extras for the day as balls repeatedly ballooned over wicketkeeper Tom Blundell for byes.

They also laboured fruitlessly in the morning as openers Steve Smith and Usman Khawaja held firm until the vergelunch.

Henry eventually broke through by having Smith caught behind for 31, ending a 61-run partnership.

Rejuvenated after the break, New Zealand's quicks tore through Australia's top order in an electrifying hour.

Shackled by tight line-and-length bowling, the out-of-form number three Marnus Labuschagne made only one run from 27 balls, edging Kuggeleijn to first slip.

Khawaja followed soon after for 33, his stumps shattered by a peach of a delivery from Henry, while Travis Head, coming off a pair of ducks from his previous test, was caught behind for one off the bowling of O'Rourke.