Boult ‘feeling good’
New Zealand bowling spearhead Trent Boult has declared he is on track to be fit for the Boxing Day test in a major boost to the Black Caps’ hopes of keeping alive their bid for a historic series success in Australia.
As many of the Kiwis’ squad rested on a sweltering day in Melbourne, the left-arm quick emerged unscathed through a testing session in the Melbourne Cricket Ground nets and looks set to get to the start line.
Under the watch of bowling coach Shane Jurgensen, Boult bowled for about an hour to embattled team-mate Jeet Raval and wicketkeeper Tom Blundell, who are vying for a spot at the top of the Kiwi order. In an optional session, Todd Astle was the only other squad member to train.
While Boult was later cautious not to declare himself a certain starter of the second test, saying he was a ‘‘day by day’’ prospect, there were strong pointers indicating his name will be on the Black Caps team sheet come Boxing Day. They certainly need him after they were hammered by 296 runs in the first test in Perth.
The 30-year-old, who is coming back from a side strain, was in good spirits, bowling at top speed off the long run and appealing vociferously, a telltale sign of Boult’s confidence ahead of a likely 65th test appearance.
‘‘[I’m] feeling pretty good. Probably a little bit frustrated to be on the sidelines watching the games go by. I feel like I’ve been rehabbing well. The ball’s coming out all right, I’m hoping to be pushing for Boxing Day and getting back out there,’’ Boult said.
‘‘The side’s been the issue. It’s about rehabbing that, letting it rest and cool down. From there it’s about being confident with the overs under my belt and having enough behind me. I feel like I’m in that place and ticking all the right boxes so far.
‘‘We’ve still got seven or eight days before it happens. I’ll be using it as best as I can. We have a warm-up game in a couple of days’ time. It’ll be nice to get some cricket, I’ll be making a call as late as I can.’’
Boult expects to get through ‘‘three to four’’ spells in a two-day match against a Victorian XI at Melbourne’s Scotch College starting tomorrow.
That will be Boult’s first competitive game since breaking down during the first test against England at Mount Maunganui last month. Since Boult made his debut in the win over Australia in Hobart in 2011 he has missed eight tests and New Zealand won just one of those, against Pakistan in Hamilton in 2016.
While Boult revealed he made the call not to play in Perth, it will take something significant for him to miss New Zealand’s first Boxing Day test since the famous game in 1987 when No 11 Mike Whitney held off the might of Richard Hadlee to save the game for an Allan Border-led Australia.
Boult, who had childhood ambitions of playing in the marquee fixture, said he would embrace the hype of the occasion.
‘‘I appreciate that stage for what it is. Test cricket is my favourite format, this is the stage a lot of people dream of being on,’’
Boult said.
‘‘To get this opportunity in my career is definitely something I’m looking forward to. If I can tick all the right boxes and get myself fit then I can’t wait to get out there.’’
Boult has played only two of his 180 internationals at the MCG, one of those being the 2015 World Cup final in which Australia won comfortably.
The Black Caps’ main selection issue is whether to persevere with the out-of-form Raval, who has just 66 runs from his last nine test innings. If Raval is dropped, Blundell is likely to come into the XI though he is better suited to batting in the middle order.