Tarouba, Trinidad and Tobago, June 17, 2024 Agence France Presse: Left-arm paceman Trent Boult said he had played his “last day” of international cricket after New Zealand’s disappointing T20 World Cup campaign ended with a seven-wicket win over Papua New Guinea in Trinidad on Monday.
His 13-year stint in international cricket appeared to have ended in the downbeat setting of a ‘dead’ T20 World Cup game.
“It feels a little bit weird, a few emotions obviously the last couple of days,” said Boult.
Pressed on whether the game represented his final New Zealand appearance, Boult added an element of doubt: “I haven’t thought much further than this, I’m in no position to comment right now. I enjoyed being out there one last time.”
Defeats by Afghanistan and tournament co-hosts the West Indies earlier in Group C had helped end the Black Caps’ hopes of qualifying for the second-round Super Eights.
Papua New Guinea had also been eliminated before the match in front of a sparse crowd at the Brian Lara Stadium.
Boult took two wickets for 14 runs as PNG were skittled out for 78 in an innings where fellow quick Lockie Ferguson finished with a remarkable 3-0 from his maximum four overs but
“Gutted to not go any further, but I’m very proud of what I’ve done with the Black Caps and sad it’s my last day with New Zealand,” said Boult.
The 34-year-old has been infrequently selected for international duty since being released from his New Zealand central contract in August 2022, allowing him to play in more domestic T20 leagues abroad.
The swing bowler did feature in New Zealand’s 50-over World Cup campaign last year, where they reached the semifinals only to suffer a 70-run defeat by tournament hosts India at a packed Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.
Boult’s tally of 317 wickets in 78 Tests, is the fourth highest by any New Zealand bowler. Longstanding new-ball colleague Tim Southee (380 Test wickets) is second, behind Richard Hadlee (431 wickets).
“I’ve shared a dressing room with Tim Southee for well over a dozen years,” said Boult, with the pair both involved when New Zealand beat India in the inaugural 2021 World Test Championship final. “It’s a partnership I’ve enjoyed forming, and we’re very good friends off the field.”
Boult’s last Test was against England at Headingley nearly two years ago, with the World Cup semifinal the most recent of 114 one-day internationals that yielded 211 wickets in total.
New Zealand captain Kane Williamson paid tribute to Boult by saying he had been a “great servant of the game” who was “consistent in all formats.”
The star batsman added: “It’ll be sad to see him go, it’s been quite special being with him throughout his career.
“He’s got such an attitude for getting better. He trains very hard, he’s as fit as he’s ever been. He knows how he wants to operate in all formats. He sticks his chest out and performs well for his country.”
“He’s made a fantastic contribution to our game and he’s created a space for new players to come in and meet the standard that he’s set.”
Emotional Boult calls T20 World Cup exit his ‘last day’ for New Zealand
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Emotional Boult calls T20 World Cup exit his ‘last day’ for New Zealand
- Boult’s tally of 317 wickets in 78 Tests, is the fourth highest by any New Zealand bowler
Desert Vipers cruise to 8-wicket ILT20 victory over Gulf Giants
- Bowler Khuzaima Tanveer is the star in the field with a record-breaking powerplay performance that set the foundation for a comfortable win
- Unbeaten 123-run batting partnership between Sam Curran and Max Holden ensures Vipers maintain 100% record after 5 matches
DUBAI: A brilliant performance by the Desert Vipers was rewarded with a fifth-straight win in the International League T20 on Friday, as they beat Gulf Giants by eight wickets to maintain their 100 percent record for the season.
After a fielding display led by a strong powerplay performance from Khuzaima Tanveer during which he took four wickets, an unbeaten 123-run batting partnership between Sam Curran and Max Holden made light work of the target set by the Giants at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.
Tanveer finished 4 for 10 in the first innings, an ILT20 record for a UAE bowler, and he also became the first to claim four wickets in the powerplay. His early attack kept the Giants on the back foot throughout, restricting them to 157/7 in 20 overs.
When it was the Vipers’ turn to bat, Curran’s unbeaten 67 off 43 balls, including five fours and three sixes, complemented Holden’s 64 runs off 41 balls as they chased the target and reached it with ease. It was the Vipers’ sixth straight win over the Giants.
Fakhar Zaman (14 off 8) was the first Viper to fall, in the second over, courtesy of a beautiful delivery by Chris Wood. Holden kept the runs flowing, however, and other than a run out of Hassan Nawaz (7 off 9) in the fourth over, the Vipers looked to be in complete control of the chase, finishing the powerplay at 53 for 2.
Curran joined the attack at the start of the fifth over. He smashed 19 runs off Liam Dawson, including three sixes, considerably reducing the required run rate. His power hitting continued off Kyle Mayers, and he completed his half-century in just 32 balls with a lovely four, scoring 18 runs in the 14th over.
The Vipers continued to build momentum and Holden joined Curran on the half-century list in just 31 balls, also with a four. Their partnership kept the scoreboard ticking over as they found regular boundaries while also rotating the strike.
The likes of Wood and Mark Adair were unable to keep them in check as they built an unbeaten 123-run partnership in just 77 balls, reaching the target in 16.5 overs.
Earlier, Tanveer made quick inroads into the Giants top order, striking twice in the second over: first removing Rahmanullah Gurbaz (2 off 4) with a superb delivery, then James Vince (0 off 2), who edged behind.
He picked up another out in the fourth, removing the dangerous Pathum Nissanka (19 off 12), and struck again in the sixth as Gerhard Erasmus (4 off 9) nicked to slip. A dominant powerplay left the Giants reeling at 30/4.
Mayers (30 off 24) briefly lifted the innings for the Giants when he took 18 off David Payne in the ninth over, but Noor Ahmad trapped him LBW to halt the momentum at 67/5 midway through the inning.
Asif Khan (36 off 38) held one end but the Vipers maintained control as Tom Curran removed Azmatullah Omarzai (20 off 15), and Ahmad dismissed Adair (1 off 2) soon after.
A late Dawson assault rescued the Giants somewhat as he smashed Lockie Ferguson for 16 in the 19th over and followed this up with a 21-run final over. He finished unbeaten on a blazing 38 off 14 (including three fours and three sixes), lifting his side’s total to a competitive 157/7.
Desert Vipers captain Ferguson said: “Tanveer has been outstanding for us all season. He was brilliant last year, too, winning games with the bat, and tonight he was exceptional with the ball.
“He’s played a lot of cricket recently, his rhythm is spot on, and the ball is coming out beautifully. He’s in a really good space. It was also great to see Max and Sam put together a big partnership.”
Vince, the Gulf Giants captain, said: “Tanveer bowled exceptionally well; full credit to him. We’ll probably look back and think about what we could have done differently but we were on the back foot early. We did well to recover to 157.
“This was the first match of the tournament where we were outplayed from the start. We were simply outplayed today, though the dew was a factor.”
