West Indies Cricket Fans Forum
Change the pitches or the balls, don't cut the days, Trent Boult says of test cricket
Black Caps bowler Trent Boult is a firm believer in test cricket staying at five days and not being cut to four.
We might be well advanced in this second test between the Black Caps and the West Indies, but New Zealand seamer – or is that now "all-rounder" – Trent Boult, is adamant the format shouldn't be cut to four days.
Instead, he says, it could be a tweak to the pitches, or the balls, that should be looked at, in order to create a more even contest.
After an action-filled second day at Hamilton's Seddon Park on Sunday, New Zealand have moved firmly into the box seat to claim a 2-0 series whitewash, and the rate at which things have unfolded would get those calling for the end of the five-day game excited.
It was far from orthodox, but Boult made a valuable 37 not out as the Black Caps posted 373 in their first innings.
Despite a two-hour rain break, there were still 11 wickets to fall and 302 runs scored in the 79.2 overs on day two, with a late flurry of lower-order runs getting the Black Caps through to 373 in their first innings, and the Windies reduced to 215-8 in reply.
READ MORE:
* Black Caps take control of test
* Boult is King of the Bunnies
* Three cracking test catches
* Stokes gets run out for duck
But while a Thursday to Sunday golf-like scenario has been looked at as one of the ways to keep the test game alive, in and amongst pink-ball day-night fixtures, Boult, who is operating in his 52nd test, admits he's a traditionalist, and sees no need for radical change.
"I love test cricket, so I'd love to see it stay as it always has," the 28-year-old said.
"In terms of shortening it to let it become more aggressive, I don't think there's any need. There's other formats for that sort of thing.
"You want to have an even competition or contest between bat and ball.
Boult's stunning one-handed caught-and-bowled was one of three superb catches on day two in Hamilton.
"There's some good wickets going around at the moment and the balls aren't moving, so that's what I'd love to see [a contest] – I wouldn't want it any shorter to encourage aggression."
Pitches around the world have become so batsman-friendly in modern times – and the one at Seddon Park is not much different, nice for the willow wielders, with the Kookaburra once again hardly moving much at all, even for the revered swing exponents in the New Zealand lineup, as the prospect of switching to the Dukes must get ever-more enticing.
"We definitely had to work for the wickets – there wasn't too much swing," said Boult, who didn't buy into the idea that the visitors' batsmen were guilty of being too reckless.
"I can't talk on behalf of their batsmen but I can probably tell you for free that they're not too happy with being eight down," he said.
"Any batsmen wants to be aggressive, not just the West Indians.
"Especially if you put four or five [fielders] behind the stumps, trying to pitch it short.
"There's two ways to play it – either duck and get out of the way of it or take it on."
And it was certainly the latter which Boult was doing in his time at the crease earlier in the day, making an entertaining and unorthodox 37 not out off just 27 balls, which included five fours and two sixes.
"Believe it or not, I take a lot of pride in my batting," said Boult, who in a 61-run last-wicket stand Tim Southee proved great nuisance value once more to the tourists.
"Any contribution from not just myself but the lower order is very pivotal I guess.
"The first innings is one where we want to go big ... a combination of runs as well as keeping their bowlers out there."
Then, in amongst taking 2-67 off 19 overs, Boult, in true 'all-rounder' status was also able to pull off a superb one-handed caught-and-bowled to dismiss Shimron Hetmyer.
"Today was a good day," he said.
"Good fun."
And who would want to change the five-day game when that is the case?
- Stuff
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