North & South – June 2019

62 | NORTH & SOUTH|JUNE 2019

F

ouryearsago,NewZealand’s
Blackcapscameascloseas
theyeverhavetowinningthe
grandestprizeincricket.They
pulleduponereallygoodper-
formanceshort,losingtheWorldCup
finaltoAustraliainMelbourne.Butalong
theway,theywontheheartsofsports
fansaroundthecountryfortheirskill
andspirit.
InJune,they’llbeinEnglandandWales
tocontestthe12theditionoftheOneDay
International(ODI)tournament.
Mymindgoesbackto 28 February,

2015. On a hot, cloudless day, Auckland’s

unlovedconcretecitadelEdenParkhad

40,000fanssqueezedinforthegroup

gameagainsttheAussies.Theatmos-

pherewaselectric.ToNewZealand

minds,it doesn’tgetanybetterthana

tastytrans-Tasmanduel.

Battingfirst,Australiawere 96 forfour

andwobbling.StepforwardNewZea-

land’sstarleft-armbowlerTrentBoult.

Inthespaceofjust 17 balls,heripped

outfiveAustralianwicketsata personal

costofa solitaryrun.Giventhecontext,

theoppositionandthesetting,it wasan

unforgettablehalf-hour.

Now 29, Boult, the pride of Bay of

SPORT

TRENT

“THUNDER

B O U LT ”

IS GO

TrentBoultwillbe a keyfactorinNewZealand’s

fortunesattheCricketWorldCupinJune.

DavidLeggatcatchesupwiththeBlackcaps

star bowler before the team heads to the UK.

David Leggat isaNorth & South contributing writer.

TrentBoultatfulltiltagainst

AustraliaatEdenParkinaone-day

international clash in 2017.