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Openers Maia Bouchier and Danni Wyatt unlocked new career milestones as England secured a series-clinching 47-run victory over New Zealand in Wellington on Wednesday during the fourth T20I.
After her team was put to bat first by NZ, Bouchier hit a career-best 91 and Wyatt surpassed former skipper Charlotte Edwards for the most T20I runs scored by an England women's player as the visitors took an unassailable 3-1 series lead with a solid all-round display ahead of this year's ICC Women's T20 World Cup. It was Bouchier who gave England the acceleration during her 56-ball stay, as the right-hander made the highest T20I score by a visiting female player against New Zealand and in the process, helped her side put up the largest T20I total any team has produced against the Kiwis on their home soil, as per ICC. Bouchier's knock was laced with 12 fours and two massive sixes and she outdid the previous best of 86 by India's Smriti Mandhana in Hamilton in 2019 for the highest T20I score by a visiting female player against the Kiwis in New Zealand. Wyatt (9) fell early in England's innings, but not before she went past Edwards' tally of 2,605 for the most T20I runs scored by an England women's player. Nat Sciver-Brunt (29* in 14 balls, with five fours), Alice Capsey (25 in 32 balls with two fours) and skipper Heather Knight (21* in nine balls with three fours) all provided Bouchier some support as England put together a big score of 177/3 in 20 overs. Amelia Kerr, Fran Jonas and Rosemary Mair took a wicket each for the White Ferns. In reply, the White Ferns started on a bad note and lost experienced opener Suzie Bates (four) early in their run chase. Brooke Halliday (25 in 23 balls, with two fours) and Bernadine Bezuidenhout (23 in 22 balls, with two fours) battled hard in the absence of their skipper Sophie Devine due to injury, but Charlie Dean's magnificent four-wicket haul restricted the hosts to 130/7 in their 20 overs. The fifth and final match of the series will be held in Wellington on Friday. (ANI)
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