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As the countdown to the T20 World Cup in Bangladesh in September commences, Maia Bouchier says her objective for the summer of 2024 is to solidify her newfound position at the top of England’s batting order.
During England’s recent tour of New Zealand, Bouchier, 25, made a strong case for a permanent position by taking advantage of the late arrival of several senior players from the Women’s Premier League in India, including senior batter Nat Sciver-Brunt and incumbent opener Danni Wyatt. Bouchier had a breakthrough winter.
Bouchier was first promoted to open during Sri Lanka’s visit last summer, after having batted only in the middle order in her limited opportunities over the previous two years. She complemented Sciver-century Brunt’s in the third ODI in Leicester with a career-best 95 from 65 balls.
However, considering England’s primary objective for the year, Bouchier’s performance in the 4-1 series victory in the Twenty20 Internationals against New Zealand in March really jumped out. After being elevated to open for the fourth match, she batted at No. 3 for the first three matches, scoring 43 not out, 12 and 71, before sealing the series with a 91 from 56 balls.
“I’ve been waiting for that moment,” Bouchier told ESPNcricinfo. “It’s been great, I’ve really enjoyed my cricket and putting in some performances for England. Going into this summer, I’ll do as much as I can to grab every opportunity and keep that spot now.”
Bouchier’s form was the result of a steady run in the team, something England’s head coach Jon Lewis had promised her when she was selected over veteran Tammy Beaumont last summer despite the latter’s strong Hundred results. Lewis supplied the explanation that Bouchier “had been carried around the world” at the time, but she hadn’t had an opportunity to establish her worth, as seen by her 13 innings in 19 Twenty20 Internationals since her debut in 2021.
“It was all about being patient for that moment,” Bouchier said. “[Lewis] talked about giving me a little run-in, to make sure I wasn’t thinking that everything was riding on one opportunity.
“I guess I had to do those tough years to get to that point, but playing in those [lower-order] positions meant I had to be able to adapt quickly, so that has only helped me going up to the top of the order. I can’t really regret any of it. I’ll always take that as much as I can.”