New Zealand insist Trent Boult will be fit to play in the inaugural day-night Test in Adelaide despite being the only squad bowler not to try his hand with the pink ball in a practice fixture against a Western Australia team under the WACA ground lights in Perth.
Advertisement
New Zealand bowling coach Dimitri Mascarenhas was diplomatic when asked about the state of the ball as the innings approached the 80-over mark.
The 26-year-old failed to bowl in this weekend’s day-night tour match against a Western Australia XI in Perth, where both sides agreed pre-match they would each have one full day of batting.
WA were bowled out on the opening day for 345 in 90 overs with Neil Wagner picking up a five-wicket haul and Mitchell Santner picking up four wickets where 12 players were allowed to bat.
Boult would be a major loss for NZ at Adelaide Oval.
The bowlers have had their turn; today it’s the New Zealand batsmen who have a crack at dealing with the pink ball.
Neil Wagner and the Black Caps celebrate a wicket.
Out of form in the recent past without having recorded a fifty in his last ten innings, Whiteman got his eye in and found the odd boundary before reaching his century with a six off Mark Craig in the 73rd over.
He also praised Wagner, who coach Mike Hesson confirmed was in the mix to play in Adelaide.
WA paceman Joel Paris said he “loved” bowling with the pink ball, despite its tendency to become softer than a red ball would once it lost its shine.
“Towards the end, it got quite dark and hard to pick up”, he said on Saturday (November 21). The ball deteriorates pretty quickly.
“The boys were saying it was quite out there to start under lights, but when you’re set it’s pretty good to bat”. The left-armer claimed 5-62 but, while he is said to be quicker than he looks, he is nowhere near the strike-bowler Boult was expected to be in this series. “If they’d bowled a few seamers, I think it would’ve been tough, with the shadow across the wicket and the lights just kicked in”, he said.
Talking about the differences between the conventional red ball and the pink ball, Mascarenhas stated, “in the middle session it won’t swing as much as the red ball usually can”.
However, the left-arm tweaker struggled for control and is unlikely to be called up to the Test side after going at 4.36 runs an over.
Advertisement
Whiteman reckoned the dusk period early in the final session, where natural light is overtaken by the floodlights, was made easier because New Zealand used spin from at least one end. Wagner was far more impressive.
