[ad_1]
Four more West Indies wickets on Monday, and Trent Boult and his New Zealand teammates may dare to dream of Lord’s again, and a possible first visit to the top of the test cricket world rankings.
What seemed like a likely three-day test at Wellington’s Basin Reserve will be extended to a fourth, after West Indies captain Jason Holder 60’s counterattack failed to lead his team to 244-6 in his second inning, then.
They still need 85 runs to get the Black Caps to hit again in the second test, and a few hundred more to avoid a near-certain loss.
Hagen Hopkins / Getty Images
West Indies’ Jermaine Blackwood is brought down by Black Caps spearhead Trent Boult in the Basin Reserve.
A 2-0 sweep and 15 unbeaten home tests in a row draw the hosts in, putting them on the same level as Australia, world number one, in ICC ranking points, ahead of their big series against India.
READ MORE:
* Black Caps vs West Indies: Captain Jason Holder leads the comeback to extend the test to the fourth day
* Black Caps vs West Indies: Tim Southee catches five, accomplishes rare feat with Kyle Jamieson
* Black Caps vs West Indies: Kyle Jamieson returns to star when the treble fails by centimeters
Boult was confident New Zealand could top off the victory quickly, with the second new ball 15 overs away, and said if they got there, a world number one test ranking would be a treasure.
“It would be a tremendous achievement and one of those things that graft over many seasons,” Boult said.
“Looking back at the last five years of test cricket, it has always been my favorite format. What we have been able to achieve at home, the special wins abroad, there is no better feeling ”.
Hagen Hopkins / Getty Images
A deadly goalkeeper by Trent Boult and Darren Bravo are gone, on the third day of the second test.
Boult insisted that the rankings, or the looming World Trials Championship final at Lord’s in June, were not discussed, but the more they win, the more he will become the focus of attention.
The calculations for the WTC final are complicated and separate from the ICC rankings. The victory in Wellington would move the Black Caps past England to third place in the WTC standings with 62.5 percent of available points.
They still need a 2-0 test series victory over Pakistan to rise to 70 percent and stay in the race, hoping for a four-sided test series in Tasmania to be able to pass through Australia (currently 82 percent ). cent) or India (75 percent). Australia has yet to face South Africa as well, while India host England.
Boult said of a possible spot in the inaugural final, two years after his heartbreak at the Cricket World Cup: “I haven’t thought about it too much, but maybe we will. I’m not in a rush to get back to Lord’s, but it would obviously be a special and unique occasion.
“That’s why you play and put in yards to lift those trophies. I couldn’t think of a better group of guys to try to lift him than on this test side. “
Hagen Hopkins / Getty Images
After taking five wickets in the early innings, Kyle Jamieson was among them again when Roston Chase was sent his way.
First things first and Boult, Tim Southee, Kyle Jamieson and Neil Wagner will try to dislodge Holder and spunky rookie Joshua da Silva, who had 74 straight on Sunday.
The visiting captain hooked Boult and Tim Southee for six and provided some previously absent starch in the batting as the ball continued to spin.
Southee and Jamieson took five wickets apiece in the woeful first innings of 131 West Indies, then Jamieson added two more, while Boult bagged three after setting a trap for Kraigg Brathwaite and then rebounding Darren Bravo.
Jamieson got everyone talking with his Saturday night heroics and near-hat-trick, bounce and deadly swing adding a compelling dimension to what starter John Campbell called one of the best rhythm attacks in the world.
Said Boult: “We all bounce off each other and it has been a pleasure playing with KJ in the last few tests. In terms of an advantage for New Zealand Cricket, he is a remarkable addition to the team. “
Hagen Hopkins / Getty Images
Kyle Jamieson and Tim Southee each took five wickets in the early innings as the West Indies staggered to 131.
Southee also moved to 294 proving grounds and in sight to join Sir Richard Hadlee (431) and Daniel Vettori (361) at New Zealand’s 300 club. Boult is fourth with 272 and joked: “If it was a race to 431 it would be quite nice. I just really enjoy bowling with him … and he’s getting really close, so it’s exciting. “
And behind the sticks, BJ Watling’s catch of Shamarh Brooks in front of Wagner made him the top 10 goalkeepers in the world. His firing 242 saw Watling switch to Englishman Alec Stewart.
“The Sheriff, he’s been doing it for a long time, he’s very passionate about the hat on his head and the team around him and he deserves all the accolades that come his way,” Boult said.
