Plunket Shield 2018-19: Trent Boult takes Mark Craig apart with 28 runs in one over

Boult trotted out with the bat with the score at 59/8 in the 27th over.

Published - 10 Oct 2018, 19:43 IST | Updated - 10 Oct 2018, 19:43 IST

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Left-arm Fast bowler Trent Boult is known more for his abilities with the leather than with the willow. He only has one first-class half-century under his belt and has mostly batted at number eleven, which doesn’t spring a surprise by any stretch of the imagination. He was in a different zone, not with the cherry, but with the bat in hand in the Plunket Shield, New Zealand’s first-class tournament.

The incident panned out in the match between Otago and Northern Districts at Mount Maunganui. After winning the toss and electing to field first, Daniel Flynn’s team bowled Otago out for 108 runs in 34.4 overs. The Districts lost their first eight wickets for 59 runs in the 27th over and found themselves in dire straits. Boult trotted out with the bat and nothing much was expected of him.

Boult picks the bones out of Craig

The Rotorua-born cricketer shocked one and all to score 61 runs from 37 balls with the help of six boundaries and five sixes. En route his incredible knock, he once laid into off-spinner Mark Craig, who also has played quite a few matches for the Black Caps. The massive over came in the 35th of the innings when the Districts were six runs short of Otago’s score with one wicket in hand.

Boult racked up 28 runs off the tweaker to accomplish his second first-class fifty, bettering the 52 not out he scored against Bangladesh in 2013. He started the over with three monstrous blows over the mid-wicket region to bring up his half-century. He then showed some deft touch and steered the ball down to third man for a boundary after which he smashed another six.

However, Craig had the last laugh as he picked up Boult a couple of overs later when the batsmen went for another lofted shot. Boult was subsequently caught by Hamish Rutherford. Northern Districts ended with a lead of 28 runs in the first innings. Boult was also impressive with the ball in the first innings having picked up the wickets of Rutherford, Craig and Jacob Duffy.