Nothing better than test cricket: Boult

If test cricket ever reaches a stage of requiring a forceful players' advocate for its survival, look no further than Trent Boult.

The top class New Zealand swing bowler makes no secret of how he views the different forms of international cricket.

One-day and T20 is all well and good, but nothing beats the five-day game.

Add in the curiosity element of the first pink ball test in New Zealand starting today and you understand, in his words, why he and his team mates are "fizzing" for the start.

"To be honest this is the part of the season I've looked forward to most. I love test cricket. Can't wait," he said.

Boult took 10 wickets in the only other tests of the summer, against the hapless, disinterested West Indies in December. He's up to 200 in 52 tests. Only five New Zealand bowlers have more.

Given a fair wind and being something of a fitness freak, four of them can be overtaken. The man, and number, at the top of this particular mountain, Richard Hadlee's 431, will remain Everest-like you'd suspect.

Boult's had a cracking summer. His seven for 34 against the West Indies in Christchurch are New Zealand's second-best ODI figures, behind only his mate Tim Southee's seven for 33 against England in the World Cup of 2015. He took the first four wickets in the space of 29 balls.

Against Pakistan in Dunedin his first three wickets took only 11 deliveries, finishing with five for 17 off 7.2 overs.

There's been a bang-bang element about Boult's bowling this season — get one, and there's a real sense he might quickly double it.

He had no idea of his wicket haul this season. He's not a particularly statistically-minded bowler.

And if you think he's been working towards being a more successful double threat along with Southee than England's senior seam pair Jimmy Anderson and Stuart Broad, in a kind of head-to-head battle, think again.

''I'm not going to sit here and say we're looking to out-bowl either of those guys, but it is a big part of our season. Tim and I have played enough cricket together to know what is needed to make us bowl well. It's something Tim and myself have been looking forward to.''

Just to be clear he's not about to bag limited-overs cricket which, he said, is ''cool as well''. But it's not test cricket.

If New Zealand bowl tomorrow keep an eye on the 28-year-old and know this is a man relishing his job because in his book it gets no better.

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