Boult injury hands NZ a day of pain at MCG
New Zealand’s cricket tour of Australia careered from bad to worse with confirmation Trent Boult is heading home with a broken bone in his right hand.
The senior Black Caps bowler suffered a painful blow to his right hand from a Mitchell Starc thunderbolt during their innings of 148 on day three of the Boxing Day test in Melbourne yesterday, as the tourists plunged towards defeat and a 2-0 series deficit.
Boult fired down six overs in Australia’s second innings then departed for a scan which revealed a fracture to the second metacarpal of his right hand. Remarkably the left-armer returned and bowled three more overs as Australia reached 137-4 at stumps, a massive lead of 456.
A team spokesman confirmed the undisplaced fracture will require around four weeks of rehabilitation, meaning Boult will fly home at the end of the second test and miss the series finale in Sydney, starting on January 3.
A replacement player is yet to be announced, but the Black Caps already have Matt Henry and the uncapped Kyle Jamieson in reserve in Melbourne. Jamieson was summoned to replace debutant fast bowler Lockie Ferguson who suffered a tourending calf strain on day one of the first test in Perth.
‘‘It’s obviously gutting news for Trent as well as our group,’’ team-mate Tom Latham said.
‘‘To have someone like that ruled out with his injury is obviously disappointing.
‘‘So we’ll have to wait and see who the replacement is over the next few days. I’m sure whoever will come in will be up for the task.’’
It’s been a few weeks to forget for Boult, the leader of the New Zealand attack, aside from his memorable inswinger to skittle Australia’s Joe Burns in the first over on Boxing Day.
He suffered an injury to a rib muscle which ruled him out of the second test against England and the first test against Australia in Perth, before returning in Melbourne. He took 1-91 off 31 overs in Australia’s first innings of 467.
Boult walked out to bat with his New Zealand side on the ropes at 124-9 and Australia’s fast bowlers breathing fire.
Starc bowled a bouncer that was headed for Boult’s helmet grille and he raised his hands to fend it off as the ball cannoned into his right glove.
He received medical attention but batted on, clearly in pain and removing his hand from the bat after every delivery, before he was bowled by Starc for eight.