Maia Bouchier hits career-best 91 as England hammer New Zealand and secure series with one game to play

Maia Bouchier hit a career-best 91 as England hammered New Zealand by 47 runs in Wellington and took an unassailable 3-1 lead in the T20I series with one game to play.

White Ferns skipper Sophie Devine won the toss and elected to bowl first, but they were made to work by Bouchier, who put on 29 with Danni Wyatt for the opening wicket before adding another 75 with Alice Capsey.

Wyatt and Capsey were part of a host of changes as England welcomed back their WPL stars, with Nat Sciver-Brunt and Sophie Ecclestone back in the picture as well.

The 25-year-old Bouchier hit 12 fours and two sixes in her best ever score for England and comprehensively took apart a New Zealand attack that became considerably weakened when captain Devine injured herself and was only able to bowl one over before having to go off injured.

Strong hitting from Sciver-Brunt (five fours) and captain Heather Knight (three fours) at the end of the innings saw England end on a daunting total of 177-3.

New Zealand’s chase got off to the worst possible start when talisman Suzie Bates was caught by Sciver-Brunt off the bowling of Lauren Bell in the first over.

The likes of Bernadine Bezuidenhout, Amelia Kerr and Brooke Halliday all got starts but none could kick on as England’s spinners tightened the screw.

Charlie Dean’s off-breaks took four wickets while the world's No. 1 T20 bowler Ecclestone went for a miserly 19 runs off her four overs, the only bowler in the game with an economy rate under five.

The teams will play one more game in Wellington to wrap up the series before playing a three-match ODI series.

Speaking after the game, Bouchier said she was happy with the way she performed, saying: "I really enjoyed it. Always great to come out and put a performance on.

"To get us to a really good total is what I want to do and getting that chance at the top of the order is something special, so just to go and do that was brilliant.

"Batting with Danni (Wyatt) brings a little bit more confidence to me because I've batted with her a lot, but I think just going out there and playing with that intent that we've talked about, I think I did that pretty well.

"[I] just [had] a little quad issue but looking to get back for Friday."

Captain Knight was delighted with the way her spinners controlled the middle overs.

"We were missing Sarah (Glenn) today in those key middle overs that she's been so awesome for us and the spinners really stepped up.

"It was one of those pitches where I think seam was a little bit more effective and the spinners still found a way to really have an impact on the game. Charlie (Dean) in particular, picking up those wickets towards the back end, and obviously Sophie (Ecclestone) as well with the world-class skill that she brings.

"There's a couple of areas we can get better as well. I think the fielding was probably not as slick as it probably has been in the previous three games. So a couple of areas to keep working on and keep moving forward, but all in all, a series win and a very happy team."

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