Devine hamstrung as White Ferns lose series

Sophie Devine’s injury and Maia Bouchier’s blistering attack consigned the White Ferns to another series defeat in Wellington yesterday.

The New Zealand captain left the field early after injuring a quad muscle while bowling and was unable to bat in reply.

Devine said afterwards the injury was a “small niggle” and she didn’t return to the field at the Basin Reserve as a precaution, with a three-game ODI series to follow after Friday’s final T20 match between the rivals.

However, she will have an MRI scan today to determine the extent of the injury.

Devine said she wanted to bat “but someone with a bit more of a rational brain kept me off”.

Despite battling a quadricep injury of her own which she picked up midway through her innings for England in the fourth T20 international, Maia Bouchier punished the hosts with 91 from 56 balls in recording her career-best score in the format.

That led to England making 177-3 from their 20 overs batting first, and New Zealand could muster only 130-7 in reply to give the tourists an unassailable 3-1 lead in the five-game series.

The home side again was guilty of a number of blunders in the field and heads were notably dropping as England hammered 23 fours and two sixes.

Even star legspinner Melie Kerr couldn’t stem the flow, taking 1-42 from her four overs.

Bouchier should have been dismissed in the opening over, when she edged a wide delivery from Rosemary Mair in between wicketkeeper Izzy Gaze and Devine at slip, with neither fielder committing themselves to the head-high catch.

Gaze later missed a stumping chance when Bouchier was on 31, and Jess Kerr dropped the right-hander from a relatively simple caught and bowled opportunity soon after.

Devine admitted her troops were “really poor in the field” and could have restricted England to 150 or 160 by taking their chances. Having to take an aggressive reply with the bat, the White Ferns lost wickets too regularly, with Bernadine Bezuidenhout, Melie Kerr and Brooke Halliday all dismissed with their scores in the 20s.

The White Ferns suffered a shock 2-1 T20 series loss to Pakistan at home earlier this season.

The final game of the T20I series is at the same venue tomorrow, before the threegame ODI series starts on Monday.*

GETTY IMAGES White Ferns batter Hannah Rowe walks off after her dismissal as England players celebrate during their win in Wellington where New Zealand captain Sophie Devine, inset, didn’t bat because of a leg injury.