Deadline set for Boult to prove his fitness
TRENT BOULT must overcome back soreness and bowl at full intensity by tomorrow to keep his place in New Zealand’s team for the series-ending test against Australia.
The left-arm paceman is hindered by what the Black Caps describe as ‘‘a disc irritation’’ in his back. Before the tour he was sidelined for almost three months with a back injury suffered in the mid-year test series in England.
While Boult’s injury was said to be comparable to what his team-mate Tim Southee overcame between the first and second tests, the Black Caps coach, Mike Hesson, appeared to be more ambiguous over Boult than he was for Southee after the series-opening test at the Gabba.
Asked whether he had major concerns about the availability of the left-arm paceman or instead was confident he would play at Adelaide Oval, Hesson replied: ‘‘I wouldn’t say I’m either, really.
‘‘We’ve got a plan,’’ the coach said. ‘‘He’s going to have to bowl flat-out two days out from the test. If he’s able to get through that then he’ll be considered for the test.’’
Boult’s only bowling with the pink during his team’s weekend practice match in Perth was off a few steps before play on day two.
Hesson said their decision to not use Boult in the practice match, even for a single spell under lights with the second new ball, had been influence by his having bowled a total of 82 overs at the Gabba and WACA Ground on the back of only playing a single first-class match, after his injury, before arriving in Adelaide.
‘‘We’ll be cautious,’’
Hesson said. ‘‘But we also know if it swings and if Trent’s going to be on top of his game he’ll be a good acquisition [to the bowlers used in the practice match] for us.’’
The Black Caps are not due to train before tomorrow, but given that is the session in which Boult needs to prove his fitness it is expected he will do some bowling beforehand.
Boult was more effective in Perth than he was in Brisbane, although his pace and the threat he has posed to Australia’s batsmen are both well below what was expected of him before the series began.
His six wickets in the series have come at an average of 64.67, although none of the Black Caps bowlers boast impressive statistics so far.
If Boult is ruled out of the series-ending match, New Zealand are likely to replace him with Neil Wagner, a bustling left-armer who was described by WA’s Sam Whiteman as skiddy and quicker than he looks.
The 29-year-old, who boasts a bowling average of 34.48 after 16 tests, was praised by his coach for his 5-62 against WA on day one of the practice match.
‘‘I thought he was very good. I thought he swung the newish ball. Generally it only swings for 10 [overs] but I thought he swung it for another 10 or 15 after that, which was good,’’ Hesson said of Wagner, a late addition to their squad.
‘‘And one trait with Neil is you know he keeps running in all day, so really good to see that.’’
Hesson said all-rounder Mitchell Santner was also in contention to play in Adelaide. Santner snared four wickets in the practice match against WA, although the size of that haul flattered the quality of his left-arm finger-spin bowling.