New Zealand's Trent Boult looking to approach third Test against England as a 'blank canvas'
- Sean Fisher
- 21 June 2022
After being overwhelmed by a Jonny Bairstow century in the second Test at Trent Bridge, New Zealand head to Headingley this week looking to avoid a 3-0 whitewash.
For four-and-a-half days of the second Test, New Zealand looked well capable of leveling the series at 1-1, but a superb afternoon of batting from Jonny Bairstow and Ben Stokes saw it slip through their fingers.
Despite the loss, Trent Boult was a standout performer for the Tourists, with the 32-year-old claiming eight wickets across both of England's innings.
He even managed 33 runs of his own in the second Test to further establish himself as one of the most successful No.11's in the game.
Top of the tree! Trent Boult (640) is now the leading run-scorer at number 11 in Test history 🏏#ENGvNZ #StatChat pic.twitter.com/dEsBZfg7J4
— BLACKCAPS (@BLACKCAPS) June 14, 2022
But still Boult finds his side 2-0 down after the Test at Trent Bridge, and he's urging his side to travel to Headingley and treat the game as a "blank canvas".
"Jonny's pumped me a couple of times, actually. The way he played on that final day was very special, he really took the game by the horns and didn't let go," said Boult.
"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. But nothing too much changes for us, hopefully we get into him nice and early this time when the ball is a bit new and we'll see what happens.
"It's a blank canvas here again and we'll look forward to seeing what happens. 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.
"I know the boys are looking forward to the challenge."
Trent Boult picks a fifer at Trent Bridge😁 pic.twitter.com/staxCFFdS8
— CricTracker (@Cricketracker) June 13, 2022
New Zealand will also be bolstered by the return of captain Kane Williamson, after he was forced to miss the second Test through Covid-19.
Williamson struggled in the first Test having been dismissed for just two and 15, but his experience and leadership is invaluable to the Tourists.
"He was disappointed to have to sit out the last game, it was a big game for us," added Boult.
"He's hungry to get out there to lead the side and desperate to get some runs. He's a big player for us and his record speaks for itself."
