Trent Boult in doubt to play the second Test against England

A fiery bowling spell from Neil Wagner steered New Zealand to a comprehensive inning and 65 runs victory over England in the first Test match in Mount Maunganui on Monday. With less than 22 overs remaining in the match, Wagner scalped Archer and Stuart Broad, the last man in, with successive balls to seal the victory for the hosts.

After the Kiwis took the second new ball, Wagner bowled Buttler who was scoreless after facing 18 deliveries. The South African-born pacer finished with five for 44, joined by Santner who scalped three for 53. BJ Watling also grabbed the headlines by smashing his maiden double ton. Watling amassed 205 runs in the first innings to propel the Kiwis to post a mammoth total of 615 runs. The wicket-keeper batsman was assisted by Santer as the duo built a formidable partnership of 261 runs.

Kane Williamson and Co gained a 1-0 lead in the two-match Test series. However, their celebrations were shrunk after Trent Boult had to walk off the field due to pain in his ribs. In recent developments, the Kiwi pacer is likely to miss the second Test match of the series. Boult, who bowled one over on the final day before going off, will undergo an MRI scan tomorrow to determine the extent of his injury.

Trent Boult has missed only three Tests since 2016

One positive sign for the Kiwis was the stellar performance of Neil Wagner, who stepped up in Boult’s absence. The second Test is scheduled on Friday and New Zealand will be hoping to see a similar performance from Wagner. If Boult does not make it to the starting squad, Lockie Ferguson and Matt Henry will be filling up his void.
Boult has missed only three Tests since 2016.

“At this stage not sure. He has a scan tomorrow and he is sore at the moment. Hopefully, he comes back clear but we’ll have to wait and see,” Kane Williamson was quoted by The Times of India while speaking regarding Boult’s injury. The New Zealand skipper also had to leave the field due to a niggle in his lower back and hip area.

“It was a really tough effort for long periods. But we have that squad of 15 and all the guys will meet up in Hamilton and we will have to assess the fitness of everybody,” he added.

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