Boult locked in Test battle

TRENT Boult felt the full force of Boxing Day exhilaration before the sun came and the New Zealand pace ace found himself locked in a “oldfashioned” game of Test cricket.

A fourth ball wicket for Boult, in the opening over of the day, was just one of four taken by the visitors on a wicket Kiwi skipper Kane Williamson thought would help when he won the toss.

By day’s end the bookies had wound out the visitors to a $13 chance of getting the win which would keep the series alive going in to the third and final Test in Sydney.

Boult, playing his first Test for the series after missing the toil-fest in Perth, said it was “annoying” not to have the Aussies a couple of more wickets down after a few plays and misses and edges which didn’t find catchers.

The left-armer was moderately more optimistic than the odds-makers but conceded the lack of venom in the pitch, despite having a spitting point which Aussie batsman Steve Smith said could be problematic, may not help the Kiwi cause.

“I think it turned into a definitely a good surface now. Definitely once the cloud burnt off and the bright blue skies came out, it was just good old-fashioned Test cricket, really,” Boult said.

“We tried to stay as patient as we could but on the positive side, they haven’t got too far ahead of the game in terms of the run-rate and runs on the board.

“But definitely some of the bouncers are coming off at a tennis-bally pace and it is what it is, really. That’s the wicket we’ve got and we’ve got to try to find a way to get another six wickets plus another 10 later in the game.”

The short-ball plans, which the Aussies were prepared for, had little effect even from ironman Neil Wagner, who did manage some body blows with his targeted attacks.

They failed to nab Smith as they did in Perth but Boult said patience, and lots of if it, would be the New Zealand’s best bet to get rid of the MCG marvel who stands in the way of the tourists staying in the game.

“He looked to defend as many balls as he could and obviously hung in there and he’s built himself a nice little innings. He’s a quality player,” Boult said. “From my point of view, he wants to feel bat on ball and keep the score ticking along. If you can keep him on strike, then that’s one way to keep him frustrated but when he leaves well, defends well and plays quite straight, he doesn’t give you too much.

“It’s about being patient with whatever plan we’re trying to execute and we keep that pressure on and we draw an error out of him.”