Trent Boult leads record rout of West Indies. Photo / Photosport
Trent Boult leads record rout of West Indies. Photo / Photosport
Trent Boult's self-analysis of his match-winning performance yesterday might be news to the West Indies: "It felt a bit slow."
The swing bowler is in his prime, and his career-best seven for 34 at Hagley Oval was simply too much for the tourists' to handle.
Boult is a bowler who can have irresistible days and even if he didn't necessarily feel that yesterday, once he got among the West Indies batsmen there was an inevitability about the way his day unfolded.
Facing a mountain in the form of 326 as their target, Boult made sure it might as well have been 526.
He grabbed wickets in each of his first three overs, another in his fifth and by that stage the game was well and truly up. There was no coming back from 52 for four. They slumped to 121, their lowest total against New Zealand.
The 204-run winning margin is New Zealand's biggest against the West Indies and Boult had plenty to savour out of the day. It was his third five-or-more ODI haul. His other two — six for 33 in helping beat Australia in Hamilton last February, and five for 27 against the same opponents in that wonderful World Cup match at Eden Park in the 2015 World Cup — may be more memorable, and certainly against better batting groups.
But seven-for is something special any day.
"It definitely still stacks up, to have an impact like that," Boult said last night. "It felt a bit slow, but somehow it got the damage done."
You could say. Boult had the ball swinging and when you add in that this Windies batting group appear to have zero stickability and resolve for the fight, it was far too good for them.
Boult whizzed to 100 ODI wickets in quick time, and his average of 25.2 is pretty tasty too. He'd taken no wickets in his last three matches, but more than made up for it yesterday.
Trent Boult's name is in lights. Photo / Photosport
He got his wickets in a variety of ways. The seven were bookended by the stumps being hit twice and also include one catch in the slips, one swirling skier by wicketkeeper Tom Latham, another more routine snare for the captain of the day, a hook to fine leg, a pull to deep square leg.
He's not a milestones guy, who is forever thumbing through the records.
"I completely did not know that," he said. "I didn't think I was anywhere near the 100 mark.
"It's one of those things that pops up on the board. It's nice, but I'm probably more about winning games."
He likes where his game is now. Being a key figure in a team performing well can do that to a player, and his numbers will give a quiet satisfaction.
His pace is good, although he admitted he still has a soft spot for the World Cup tournament when he thinks back to strong periods in his career.
"Bowling quick, and keeping quick," he said. "The World Cup is still one of my fondest memories but I'm very happy where it is at the moment."
Only good mate Tim Southee has better ODI figures for New Zealand and Boult was expecting a conversation later last night.
He was also impressed by the handiwork of Auckland quick Lockie Ferguson. He took the other three West Indies wickets yesterday, two in consecutive deliveries, and worked up real pace.
"We've heard he's done well in the domestic games. He's really hurrying guys, and you can see why he's been doing so well."
Boult has a short break coming up after Boxing Day's third ODI. He will sit out the first two T20 games in Nelson and Mt Maunganui before returning for the final match of the Windies tour at the Mount.
He's at No7 in the ODI bowling rankings, top of the pops for New Zealand. Expect that to climb in the coming days.
