England beat New Zealand in fourth women’s T20 international – as it happened

James Wallace

That’s it from me, time to hit the hay. If you want some more cricket action RIGHT NOW then flip on over to Bangladesh against Australia in Mirpur. The magnificent Jo Khan is firing up the tools for that one as we speak.

Congrats England, commiserations New Zealand and thanks for stopping by.

Heather Knight looks pleased to have wrapped up the series after the wobble in Nelson at the weekend. She heaps praise on Bouchier and says it is great that her squad are fully back together after the WPL players returned this week.

Good effort this.

Sophie Devine sat out most of the match with an injury. She says it is hopefully just a niggle but was advised to stay off the park with a view to making sure she is fit for the ODI series. Her side looked a bit lost without her today and she admits they were sloppy in all departments.

Maia Bouchier is player of the match:

“Getting the chance at the top of the order was special. Batting with Danni (Wyatt) gave me confidence.”

A quality innings at the top of the order, clean striking and wonderful strokeplay, deserving of a century but 91 off 56 balls gave England all the aces.

Heather Knight’s side take the series, New Zealand couldn’t live with England with bat or ball and missed chances in the field. England go 3-1 up with just one more match left to play.

19th over: New Zealand 121-7 (Mair 4, J Kerr 8) Penultimate over, Ecclestone goes for just five off her final over to finish with 1-19 on her return to the side.

18th over: New Zealand 116-7 (Mair 3, J Kerr 5) Gisbon steams in, full and angling in at the stumps. 62 needed from 12 balls now. You do the math(s)

And another! Dean bowls Rowe to pick up four for 26. A huge mow across the line from Rowe, fresh air and the sound of leather on stumps.

You sweep and miss – I hit. Charlie Dean cleans up Gaze. I can hear warbling.

16th over: New Zealand 107-5 (Gaze 15, Rowe 5) Nat Sciver Brunt finishes her spell and should have had Isabella Gaze caught out in the deep but Sophie Ecclestone spills a regulation chance. Hands on knees and expletives in the air.

15th over: New Zealand 98-5 (Gaze 10, Rowe 1) Lauren Bell returns and there are just four runs off her third over. Whereas England exploded at the end of their innings New Zealand have struggled to find the boundary and the required run rate has climbed out of sight.

14th over: New Zealand 94-5 (Gaze 7, Rowe 0) Slip sliding away… Hannah Rowe heads out to the middle. 84 from 36, time to give it some humpty.

Ecclestone returns and snaffles Halliday by taking the pace off and tossing it up, a lofted drive is caught in the breeze and, more specifically, caught by Charlie Dean at long on.

13th over: New Zealand 90-4 (Halliday 22, Gaze 6) Miserly over from Charlie Dean that pretty much seals New Zealand’s fate. Just three runs off it as Halliday struggles to get the ball off the square. 88 needed from 42 balls.

12th over: New Zealand 87-4 (Halliday 19, Gaze 6) A better over for the White Ferns as Nat Sciver-Brunt is worked for ten off her latest, Halliday looking to attack off every ball. 91 needed from 48.

11th over: New Zealand 77-3 (Halliday 10, Gaze 5) Wicketkeeper Isabella Gaze is the new batter, she drives Gibson down the ground for four second ball. Punchy.

Gibson strikes to get rid of Bezuidenhout, New Zealand slipping away in Wellington.

10th over: New Zealand 64-3 (Bezuidenhout 23, Halliday 10) Ecclestone looks thoroughly displeased as Halliday clubs her over the top for four. Ten overs done and New Zealand need 106 from 60 balls.

9th over: New Zealand 64-3 (Bezuidenhout 21, Halliday 4) Heather Knight brings herself on for the middle over squeeze. Six singles taken off the over but it isn’t enough for the home side as the series is slipping out of view.

Squeeze

8th over: New Zealand 58-3 (Bezuidenhout 18, Halliday 1) Brooke Halliday is the new batter. England all over New Zealand like the proverbial discount three piece.

Maddy Green walks! A tiny tickle on an attempted sweep lands in Amy Jones’ gloves and the batter trots off before the umpire can get the digit raised.

7th over: New Zealand 50-2 (Bezuidenhout 11, Green 7) Here comes Sophie Ecclestone. Left arm twirling, ponytail bobbing. She’s straight on the moolah and there are just three runs off the over…

6th over: New Zealand 47-2 (Bezuidenhout 9, Green 6) NSB spears one down the leg side and Amy Jones pulls off a wonderful diving take to save four wides. Green swipes at two deliveries but to no avail before clubbing a boundary to finish the over.

Is there anybody alive out there? Drop me a line and keep my company if you are. It’s just ticked around to 2am and I just wanna hear some rhythm receive some emails.

5th over: New Zealand 40-2 (Bezuidenhout 8, Green 1) Maddy Green is the new batter and Dean nearly cleans her up with a looping delivery. New Zealand have to score runs and with that comes risk, there’s no time for the new batter’s to get their eye in.

The very next ball after slapping Charlie Dean away through the leg side for four Kerr tries to rinse and repeat but can’t clear Dunkley behind square. A sharp chance well taken.

ICYMI: Sarah Glenn has been ruled out of the rest of this series and the start of the ODIs too.

4th over: New Zealand 27-1 (Kerr 15, Bezuidenhout 7) Dani Gisbon into the attack and she starts well with a blue line trimming yorker. Bezuidenhout cuts the next ball away for four. A single follows. SHOT! Kerr takes a step down and scythes Gibson away through point for four more. Ten runs off the over.

3rd over: New Zealand 17-1 (Kerr 10, Bezuidenhout 2) Kerr dispatches Lauren Bell down the ground for four but the bowler responds with a beauty that climbs off a length and slides just past the edge. Seven runs off the over as New Zealand look to rebuild.

2nd over: New Zealand 10-1 (Kerr 5, Bezuidenhout 1) Nat Sciver-Brunt is given the second over by Knight. Kerr works off her pads for a couple and the fabulously named Bernadine Bezuidenhout opens her account with a drive to mid on.

1st over: New Zealand 5-1 (Kerr 1, Bezuidenhout 0) Amelia Kerr out to the middle in the first over and she’s off the mark first ball to keep strike.

Gah! Not an ideal start – Suzie Bates is foxed by the cross seam delivery by Lauren Bell and offers up a simple catch to short mid-wicket. England amongst the White Ferns already.

Not enough time for a graveyard shift brew. Here come the players…