Cricket: Boult, Siddle give pink ball thumbs up

New Zealand's Trent Boult. (AP Photo/Theron Kirkman)

The pink ball got a thumbs up from rival bowlers Trent Boult and Peter Siddle after the first day of the next age of test cricket.

Australia spent the first two sessions in daylight in the field, and then a short period with the lights on in dismissing New Zealand for 202. New Zealand had first use of the ball in its most favourable period, under lights. Australia got to 54 for two.

''It was great to be part of it, an exciting day and an electric atmosphere out there," Boult said last night.

He believed the ball played out just as New Zealand, based on their limited experiences, expected it would.

''It does seem to change at night under lights. It definitely swung around a little bit with the new ball, and still a shade of it at 22 overs old. As a whole there weren't too many surprises out there."

For Siddle, it was a treat playing in front of 47,000 in a test in Adelaide.

''That was the exciting thing for us," he said of the fans support.

''The atmosphere out there was amazing from early on till the end of play. The crowd was upbeat and especially when we were on a roll getting a few wickets. It was exciting for everyone."