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Women's Cricket It's the mighty Bouchier show as England defeat Kiwis again

HAMPSHIRE hit-woman Maia Bouchier smashed New Zealand all around the County Ground at Worcester.

She struck a maiden century as England won the second ODI match to make it 2-0 with a final game to play at Bristol on Wednesday.

The mighty Bouch is a fine shot-player, and there was a huge grin on her face under the helmet as she raised her bat for her second 50 of the series.

It was even broader when she made her ton to win it and hand England the victory in 25 overs — and she could probably have stood there tucked into her stance, bat raised ready, all day long on that form.

“I've put in a lot of work to get to that point, and it’s so great to be playing here for this crowd, and to get my hundred for England is so special,” Bouchier told the cameras after.

“The hundred was just a number, and I kept trying to say that to myself and just work on that process.”

The tourists made another bad start, which put them straight on the back foot in the game.

Georgia Pilmer was caught by Charlie Dean off Katie Cross for just three in the fifth over, and Suzie Bates followed her back to the pavilion just six balls later when Amy Jones caught her behind from a Lauren Filer delivery to leave New Zealand on 10/2 after she’d slogged it high into the air.

Captain Sophie Devine and Amelia Kerr settled the nerves somewhat with a solid partnership, though they were breathing a sigh of relief in the twelfth as Sophie Ecclestone turned one into Devine’s pads.

England decided against the review and when it was shown on the big screen at the ground, Ecclestone was gutted as it was a plumb lbw.

The Kiwis certainly needed that kind of break and Devine began driving shots away to the ropes on the boundary, hitting five 4s to chalk up 28 before she was stumped by wicket-keeper Jones after Ecclestone tempted her out of the crease.

Kerr kept moving up the run rate with singles and 2s as Maddy Green joined her out in the middle. They brought up the 100 in a defensive display by the 29th over with Kerr’s 34 including just one boundary. After the threat of an early capitulation, however, their caution was understandable.

The Wellington right-hander played steadily on but could only watch in horror as Green went for 30 lbw from spinner Charlie Dean, then Brook Halliday was bowled by Ecclestone, who walked Lauren Down for a duck shortly after.

The Lancashire slow left armer hit Halliday’s off stump as she swiped out, then took out Down’s middle stump with another good delivery.

Kerr was caught and bowled by Dean for 43 and then Issy Gaze and Molly Penfold both went without scoring as the tail end tumbled at an alarming rate.

Gaze hit Ecclestone straight to Nat Schriver-Brunt for an easy catch and Penfold was clean bowled by Ecclestone, taking her figures to 5-25.

Jess Kerr hit three 4s from 11 balls in her total of 14 before she was caught by Scriver-Brunt off Alice Capsey as she tried to increase the numbers on the scoreboard, New Zealand being all-out for 141 in the 42nd over.

England’s opening pair of Tamsin Beaumont and Bouchier again tormented the New Zealand bowlers as they cracked several boundaries each, sending the white ball bouncing and bobbling through the field to the ropes time and time again.

The pair had chalked up 73 before Beaumont was run out on 28. Bouchier struck her half century soon after with a ninth 4 as skipper Heather Knight came in to join her.

Knight slammed one mighty 6 on the full toss in her total of nine before being caught by Amelia Kerr off Halliday after they’d run England up to 115 in the 19th over, and Scriver-Brunt came on to replace her.

But the day was all about brilliant Bouchier’s batting with her 100 coming off 88 balls and including 17 4s to make England 142/2. The eight-wicket win followed on from a nine-wicket success at Durham in the series opener.

“The 100 will give me so much confidence going into ODI cricket. I've worked behind the scenes on my 50-over game and coming into this series I was hoping to get that opportunity to stay and play those full amount of overs,” she said.

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