Boult ticking all boxes for Test

TRENT Boult’s Boxing Day dream moved closer to reality yesterday when the New Zealand pace spearhead left a searching net session smiling from ear to ear.

Boult, who missed the opening Test in Perth, was the lone Black Cap quick to roll his arm over, against batsmen Jeet Ravel and Tom Blundell, as temperatures soared.

After injuring his side during a Test against England last month, Boult pulled the plug on his Test return against Australia last week.

“We were only here for a couple of days beforehand – there was a lot of heat around and I had to make the call to say that I wasn’t quite right,” he said yesterday.

But having put himself through a lot of net work in the west, Boult will rack up the final overs he needs before Boxing Day during a two-day warm-up match, starting on Friday, against a Victorian XI.

“It’s about being confident with the overs under my belt ... I feel like I am in that place and ticking all the boxes so far,” Boult said.

“I am very eager to get out there and will be doing everything to make that happen.

“It’s nice to have that extra time – we still have seven or eight days. I’ll be using it as best I can ... I’ll be making a call as late as I can.”

Tomorrow’s forecast of 41C could determine just how much Boult bowls against a Victorian side that includes Sheffield Shield batsman Travis Dean and young gun Mackenzie Harvey.

But left-armer Boult, who has 255 Test wickets, doesn’t want to miss what could be his only chance to play in a Boxing Day Test – NZ’s first since 1987.

“It’s a situation you dream of as a kid growing up. I can’t wait. I want to embrace it and enjoy that stage for what it is,” he said.