Cricket: Boult blitz gets the job done

Blackcaps bowler Trent Boult celebrates the wicket. Photo / Photosport

Trent Boult was the lead singer, but New Zealand's entire band of bowlers deserved credit for an exemplary display which dismissed Pakistan for 74 in the third one-day international in Dunedin yesterday.

That was their lowest total against the Black Caps in an ODI, amid the 183-run loss.

Boult, alongside Tim Southee, Lockie Ferguson and Colin Munro, were the Rolling Stones of University Oval.

At 16 for six in the 15th over, last year's Champions Trophy winners could have been forgiven for requesting the Black Caps to "gimme shelter"; their opponents just wanted to "paint it black".

Boult's figures of five for 17 from 7.2 overs are his fourth five-for in 60 ODIs and the second of the summer after getting a career-best seven for 34 against the West Indies in Christchurch.

He has 18 wickets at an average of 11.44, economy rate of 4.26 and strike rate of 16 in six ODIs this season.

Tight lines took the ball away from right-handers Azhar Ali and Mohammad Hafeez, a looser ball had Fakhar Zaman chopping on, and he returned to wrap up his set with fuller deliveries to bowl Mohammad Amir and Rumman Raees.

You can't always get what you want as a pace bowler, but on this occasion Boult's performance provided satisfaction.

"That's a quality side we've taken a series off, so it's a good feeling in the changing room," he said.

"The guys are just putting better performances together as we go deeper into the season."

Boult emphasised bowling partner Tim Southee's Charlie Watts-like show, drumming up dot balls into the breeze to finish with none for 19 from seven overs.

"Performances like those, bowling into that stiff northerly are probably as significant as those of guys who picked up wickets.

"There was some great partnership bowling, which is what we're about, and that probably got us a result. It was testament to not releasing pressure from either end.

"Tim's too classy into the wind, so I've always said he may as well go into it," Boult quipped.

Ferguson (two for 28 off six overs) and Munro (two for 10 off seven) also riffed off each other as Pakistan stage dived.

"We adapted the cutter early, tightened our lines up and gave them nothing," Southee said.