A remarkable collapse from England handed New Zealand a dramatic three-run victory in the third T20 as the hosts kept the series alive in Nelson.

But Maia Bouchier fell for 71 and England lost six for 25 when set for an unassailable 3-0 series lead.

The tourists needed eight from the last over but Suzie Bates conceded only four and took two wickets.

England’s chase would have been the highest in T20s in New Zealand after Sophie Devine hit a 37-ball 60 in their 155-3, but it should have been well within them.

New Zealand skipper Devine put on 99 from 68 with Amelia Kerr and was the bowler when Bouchier was caught to spark the turnaround.

England will be boosted by the availability of Sophie Ecclestone, Danni Wyatt, Alice Capsey and Nat Sciver-Brunt in the fourth match on Wednesday when they join the five-match series following their participation in the Women’s Premier League.

The tourists will have to wait on the fitness of Sophie Glenn, however.

She failed a concussion test after hitting her head in the field and was replaced by debutant and concussion substitute Hollie Armitage.

England throw it away

England’s target was testing but they could hardly have been in better control of the chase.

After the loss of opener Sophia Dunkley, run out for a duck in the second over, the classy Bouchier scored all around the wicket in her highest T20 score as she shared a partnership of 92 with Tammy Beaumont, who made 37 from 34 balls.

Bouchier had hit a six and 11 fours when she tried to clear the ropes again but this time picked out long-on.

An over later skipper Heather Knight was guilty of a rare lapse. She was run out coming back for two by a Kerr direct hit from mid-wicket, and from there there panic ensured, England missing the experience of Sciver-Brunt and Wyatt in particular.

Amy Jones was bowled by leg-spinner Kerr swiping across the line and Bess Heath, playing her fifth international, and Armitage followed.

Armitage was bowled off her pads by off-spinner Bates with her first ball of the match – the first delivery of the final over.

England should have played smarter but they can also have just complaints that the final ball of the penultimate over was not given as a leg-side wide.

Without the extra run and the additional delivery, Danielle Gibson, who ended 10 not out, lost the strike in the final over and Charlie Dean missed a reverse sweep with two balls to go.

She was stumped going for a boundary off the last.

New Zealand keep hopes alive

The move to give Bates the last over proved a masterstroke from Devine, who gave herself the 19th. In contrast to England, Bates showed all of the experience she has built from 312 internationals.

New Zealand’s total was their highest against England but was still no more than par on a pitch that offered little for the bowlers until it began to slow late on.

England dropped both openers inside the powerplay – wicketkeeper Jones could not gather an under-edge off Bates and Glenn put down a straightforward chance to take Bernadine Bezuidenhout at mid-off – which allowed New Zealand to add 44 for the first wicket.

Glenn made the breakthrough in her opening over by having Bates stumped, but, having hit her head as she tumbled when dropping the earlier chance, she left the field soon after and did not return.

Her absence allowed Devine to build on a steady start in the second half of her innings.

The hosts were 113-2 after 16 overs before Devine began the 17th, bowled by Linsey Smith, with a four, clubbed a six over mid-wicket and cleared the ropes again in the next to go to fifty from 30 balls.

Still, when the skipper skewed a waist-high full toss from Gibson to mid-off in a final over – an over that cost only four – there was a feeling England were on top, despite Kerr finishing unbeaten on 44.

‘We needed to be a bit more smart’ – reaction

England captain Heather Knight told TNT Sports:“A lot of good stuff and a quite frustrating end. We needed to be a bit more smart and show composure at the back end.