Top order quivers when Boult strikes

May 25 (CRICKETNMORE) - No-one takes top order wickets quite like Trent Boult - and the New Zealand seamer cannot wait to get into the swing of things in English conditions this summer.

The 29-year-old, ranked second in the world one day bowling rankings, has taken 44 wickets in the first ten overs of ODIs since the last ICC Men's Cricket World Cup four years ago.

That tally is the most of any bowler in world cricket and has seen the left-armer, who finished the 2015 tournament as the joint highest wicket taker, break new ground in the white-ball format.

“Hopefully the conditions will suit,” admitted Boult.

“From a bowling point of view It’s nice to see the ball carry around a little bit.

“We have got a very set one day side, in terms of personnel and the way we try to tackle this format.

“Conditions in New Zealand is where it suits us and, in some ways, England is very similar to that.

“We won’t get too far ahead of ourselves, but we are looking forward to bringing our style to the UK and seeing where it gets us.

“With the ball we want to be as aggressive as we can, and we know that taking wickets can stunt that run rate.

“Without giving away our game plan, I think it is pretty obvious that all teams are trying to take early wickets and put the pressure on the batting team."

However, the Kookaburra white ball has not produced the prodigious swing of four years ago, and Boult knows that he will need more than one string to his bow.

“I’m just trying to pitch the ball up as much as I can," he added. 

"I am a swing bowler so obviously I am trying to move the ball in the air and make the batsmen play good shots.

“Hopefully there is a little bit in the wicket but from what we have been following there have been some impressive scores that have been chased down as well.

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“They are good grounds and to see these 350, 400 scores even being touched and then chased down is pretty crazy.

“The attack that we possess, we are all new ball, swing bowlers and if the conditions suit we have the skills to can put the opponents to the test.

“But the ball hasn’t really been swinging so we are not coming here expecting it to bend around like it did four years ago.

“We have to use other ways to get wickets, that will be the challenge over the next few weeks. To try and find wickets when the wickets are flat, when it’s not swinging around in batsman friendly conditions."

The Black Caps came so close to winning it all four years in a fairytale run to the final that was eventually ended by co-hosts Australia.

This time around, Kane Williamson’s side arrive in the UK desperate to go one better.

And with warm-up clashes against India and West Indies, before opening the group stage games against Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Afghanistan, the chance to build momentum is huge.

“There is a lot of excitement going through the camp and we are eager to get into it," added Boult.

“2015 was an amazing experience, but we took it game by game and didn’t get too far ahead of ourselves. We let things happen from there.

“It is one of the highlights of my career and we want to replicate something like that and hopefully go one further over the next couple of weeks.

“I think the new format is brilliant, it’s cool to get the chance to play everyone.

“If you want to say you are a world champion and lift the trophy at the end of it, then you want to say you have played every team.”

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ICC