Vettori was run out on 96, beaten by Mike Hussey's direct throw from mid-on. It would have been his seventh test ton and a fitting reward for having steered New Zealand from a parlous state on the first day of 96 for five to finish on 295.
At stumps last night, Australia was 154 for three, leaving the test nicely poised.
So what was Vettori's immediate emotion upon picking himself up, dusting off his clothes and trudging back to the pavilion? Frustration, disappointment, anger?
"I wasn't too bad. When you've been playing a long time you realise the ups and downs of the game. To have 96 on the board, I was pretty proud of that effort," he said.
Did he realise within two or three strides of setting off that he might be cutting it fine?
"I think I have that most times these days when I run," he quipped.
"It took a direct hit. If it wasn't I would have been in. He's a very good fielder and I picked the wrong guy."
Vettori talked of his development from an under-achieving, lower-order batsman in his early test years to a highly proficient No 7, which has enabled him to become New Zealand's fifth-highest all-time test run-scorer.
"I was probably a bit loose and nervous. I tried to tighten my technique and be more positive when I walked out to the middle. That allowed my game to flourish and be aggressive.
"All good players who come in at No 7, 8 or 9 are aggressive and take the game away from you."
He got advice from the then technical adviser Ashley Ross and spoke to fellow tall lefthander Stephen Fleming.
"I tried to get tips from him about how he went about his innings, but I've still done it my way. There's not many people with my technique and I suppose I've stuck to that and not tried to change too much."
Vettori and Dean Brownlie put on a New Zealand record 158 for the sixth wicket yesterday, breaking the old mark for that wicket against Australia of 126 by Vettori and Brendon McCullum two seasons ago.
Brownlie went a long way to nailing down the No 6 spot, at least for the time being, with his second half-century in three test innings, although 73 not out against Australia rather trumps his 63 against Zimbabwe on a slow, flat pitch in Bulawayo last month.
New Zealand knows wickets in the first session today are imperative. It could have had both Ricky Ponting and Michael Clarke back in the pavilion last night. Ponting survived a run-out on 0 and a referred lbw appeal against Brownlie's medium pace; Clarke was bowled by Doug Bracewell, only to get a reprieve as it was a no-ball.
The direction of the test is likely to be decided today. New Zealand is still in the contest but, with the pitch becoming easier for batting, needs to be right on its game in the first two hours.
Otherwise, having scrapped its way back into it, it could find the test slipping away.
