Follow UsTrent Boult bowled his heart out in the second Test against England in Nottingham but it was Jonny Bairstow who went berserk on day five and led his team to a memorable win. The middle-order batter smoked 136 off 92 deliveries and helped England chase down a target of 299 in just 50 overs. England Test captain Ben Stokes too smashed a 70-ball 75 and the hosts hunted down the target with 22 overs to spare.
That win allowed England to take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series and they would now try to complete a series whitewash in Leeds. Bairstow was unbelievable but Boult too did his best on a belter of a batting surface, claiming eight wickets at the expense of 200 runs. The left-arm paceman also dismissed Bairstow but only after he was smoked for three sixes and as many fours in the space of 10 deliveries.
"He's pumped me a couple of times, actually, Jonny. The way he played in that final day was very special. He really took the game by the horns and didn't let go. He's definitely a big player for them in the middle order and we know how destructive he is, he's done it many a time," said Boult ahead of the final Test, starting on Thursday (June 23).
"To be on the wrong side of that result was pretty tough, but I think a lot of credit's due to some phenomenal cricket that's been played there. Nothing too much changes for us (at Headingley) but hopefully we get into him nice and early with the ball a bit new, and we'll see what happens."
The series has already been lost but New Zealand have had their moments in the first two Tests. "I suppose it's hard being 2-0 down in the series. But there's a lot of pride in that changing room from some of the performances we've put out over the last few years. If we're fair we probably haven't been at the standards we want to be as a group, it's nice to have one game to go out and play like we know we can."
Boult also heaped heavy praise on England's new Test coach Brendon McCullum. England, who had won only one of their previous 17 Tests, are looking a different unit under McCullum. "They are playing like I thought he told them to. It's a new change for English cricket. What a start, both games so far have been thrillers really. For Test cricket as a whole, hopefully, we see many more games like that, and get many more eyes watching."
One of the biggest reasons why New Zealand struggled in the final innings was the absence of Kyle Jamieson. The tall paceman felt a sharp pain in his lower back while bowling in the first innings and couldn't bowl a single over in the second essay. He has now been ruled out of the series.
"It's hard for Kyle, I know he's disappointed with walking off with an injury, every fast bowler is in that situation. He's played some great cricket over the last couple of years. You look at some of the guys on the sideline, everyone wants to put their hand up and go out and perform for the side. There's a guy called Neil Wagner who's keen to get out there as well, I'm not sure if he'll walk straight back in, but I know the XI who are selected will go out there and be desperate to do well."
New Zealand captain Kane Williamson, who missed the second Test due to Covid, is set to make his return, while Michael Bracewell and Devon Conway are also available for selection. The latter two also tested positive for the virus but have already gone through isolation.
"He's a big player for us," Boult said of Williamson. "His record speaks for itself, everyone's healthy and available for selection. It looks like another good wicket, so we'll see what happens.
"Kane's always hungry to get in the nets. He was disappointed to have to sit out the last game. It was a big game for us. He's hungry to get out there to lead the side and desperate to get some runs. I know the boys are looking forward to the challenge. There have been some good chats going on off the ground. Hopefully, we can let the bat do the talking and we'll go from there."
It's been a busy last few months for Boult. He was part of the Rajasthan Royals squad that made it through to the Indian Premier League 2022 final and only had 48 hours to adjust to the English conditions ahead of the first Test. And, Boult is currently the leading wicket-taker in this series (12 wickets at 24.50).
"I flew through Dubai, then came to here… and then just really cracked on with it really! The Dukes ball is always exciting to get in your hand and it's nice to see the ball move around a little bit. It's one of those things, a lot of the guys in that group have a lot of passion to put the Black Cap on their head and the motivation for everyone is there to go out and perform. So it was an easy choice for me," said Boult, who also became the highest-scoring No.11 in Test history.
"I enjoy the conditioning side of things and the stuff that goes in off the field. It's a big challenge. Test cricket is called Test cricket for a reason and it's the format I'm definitely the most passionate about. So when there is an opportunity to put the Black Cap on and the whites, I try to grab it with both hands.
"It's been a busy couple of months for me coming from the IPL. It is a challenge as a modern-day fast bowler to move between the formats but I love the challenge, I love the opportunity to run in for my country and the group of guys in there as well. It was nice to get away and refresh a little bit and the guys are energised and really looking forward to the next couple of the days."