(Web Desk) - Openers Maia Bouchier and Danni Wyatt brought up career milestones as England created history during their series-clinching 47-run victory over New Zealand in Wellington on Wednesday.
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 opened up an unassailable 3-1 series lead with a commanding triumph ahead of this year's ICC Women's T20 World Cup.
It was Bouchier that paced England's innings during her 56-ball stay, as the right-hander amassed the highest T20I score by a visiting female player against New Zealand and in the process helped her side put on the largest T20I total any team has produced against the Kiwis on their home soil.
Bouchier smashed 12 fours and two massive sixes during her impressive knock, surpassing 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 fell early in England's innings, but not before she went past Edwards' tally of 2605 for the most T20I runs scored by an England women's player.
Nat Sciver-Brunt (29), Alice Capsey (25) and skipper Heather Knight (21) all provided Bouchier some support as England put together a big score and in reply New Zealand lost experienced opener Suzie Bates (four) early in their run chase.
Brooke Halliday (25) and Bernadine Bezuidenhout (23) battled hard to help overcome the loss of skipper Sophie Devine to a quad injury, but Charlie Dean's magnificent four-wicket haul ensured the visitors held on and England clinched the victory.
The fifth and final match of the series will be held in Wellington on Friday.