Bouchier’s Maiden Century Guides England to Convincing Win Over New Zealand
On Sunday, Maia Bouchier achieved a significant milestone in her international career, scoring her maiden century while helping England secure a convincing victory over New Zealand. The match saw England comfortably chasing down a target of 142 with eight wickets and 153 balls to spare.
Bouchier, who had been dismissed in the 90s on two previous occasions, kept the spectators on the edge of their seats once again. She survived a close lbw decision on 92 against Jess Kerr, with the umpire’s call going in her favor. Thereafter, she relied on the support of the world’s best batter, Nat Sciver-Brunt, who selflessly blocked out 10 deliveries to ensure that Bouchier had enough runs remaining to reach her century.
“They call them the nervous 90s for a reason! I was trying not to think too far ahead,” Bouchier said. “My heart rate was going through the roof but Nat really calmed me down.”
Bouchier’s impressive innings, which included impeccable placement and timing, was a statement performance, coming on the back of a successful winter tour of New Zealand where she cemented her spot as the T20 opening batswoman. With four runs needed, she clinched the century with back-to-back twos, her predominant emotion being one of relief.
The match witnessed a disastrous batting collapse from New Zealand, with the last seven wickets falling for just 27 runs. England’s Sophie Ecclestone was the chief tormentor, registering a maiden ODI five-wicket haul on home soil. This result, following the one-sided first ODI, should raise serious questions about New Zealand’s ability to compete at the highest level in the 50-over format, especially with the 2023 World Cup in India on the horizon.
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