NZ Vs WI: Trent Boult Commands Glory As The Master In Swing Conditions

New Zealand’s premier fast bowler Trent Boult defined his prowess as a champion in conditions that favour swing to bring back the memories of an excellent ICC 2015 World Cup where he was phenomenal.
Against West Indies in the 2nd ODI match at Christchurch, Boult was at his sublime best for the Black Caps as he sang to the tunes and picked up a dream 7/34 to pounce upon the visitors in an aggressive fashion. Boult is regarded as one of the best bowlers in world cricket, especially in the limited overs game and the left-arm seam bowler lived up to the tag quite proudly.
Boult notched his best career figures with the stupendous display and give his side a series victory as the hosts went 2-0 up. The Windies needed 322 runs to win and Boult wrecked apart their batting from the start to handle them a 204-run victory. The Windies fell like a pack of cards after not being able to negotiate Boult’s magic and surrendered rather sheepishly after being without talisman Chris Gayle.
Boult got to the 100-wicket mark in ODIs and became the fifth fastest bowler in the game to achieve the feat. The display at Christchurch brought back fond memories he had in the biggest stage over close to three years ago. Boult had picked 22 wickets in the coveted World Cup and finished as the joint highest wicket-taker alongside Australia’s Mitchell Starc.
Boult’s ability to bowl at the pace he does and to get the ball talking like that with conditions at his favour often shows how difficult it is to play against him. Four top order wickets backed by three more at the death showed how monumental he was to hand his side a substantial breathing space. Not many can swing the ball like Boult and have pace in excess of 140 mph to give very little away to batsmen. With every wicket, he grew in confidence.
Boult was superb in his first spell and the moment he came back for his second, there was just a bit of formality left which he grabbed with both hands. Boult became only the 2nd Kiwi international besides teammate Tim Southee to get to seven wickets in an ODI match. It is a feat that will be remembered as one of the best individual performances in recent years.
In the modern day game, one can say there are very few left-arm pacers atop of their game and Boult is among them. The likes of Pakistan’s Mohammed Amir, Bangladesh’s Mustafizur Rehman and Mitchell Starc are there besides Boult in what we can call as the ‘Fab Four’.
In the 2015 World Cup, Boult alongside Southee helped the Black Caps reach the final of the tournament which was co-hosted by New Zealand and Australia. Boult was a catalyst back then and in the 2nd ODI too, he looked like his former self bowling with a plan and executing it to perfection. After the match, the pacer acknowledged that the conditions as such often helps him grow an extra limb of sorts.
“It felt a bit slow but I somehow got the damage done, I guess. The wicket was two-paced and a bit slower as well. It was nice to get the new ball swinging. If I had to pin it down to something, I know that when I am swinging the ball, I wouldn’t say I am a different bowler, but I almost grow another limb in a way, so it was nice to knock over a few,” Boult said in the post-match reaction.
The Kiwis will be excited to play under conditions at home in the summer. With players being rotated and a healthy competition at offer, the period seems exciting for the side. The third ODI will be played on Boxing Day at Hagley Oval as the Kiwis will fancy another top class affair and hope Boult swings his way past the Windies once again.