Boult confident of making Boxing Day Test

MELBOURNE: Trent Boult is confident he will be able to take his place in the Boxing Day Test and the dream not afford to New Zealand for more than 30 years.

Boult missed the opening Test in Perth having not recovered sufficiently from the side strain he picked up against England - a call he made himself to admit he wasn’t ready - but is increasing his workload as the squad prepares in Melbourne.

They have a two-day game against a Victoria XI later this week where Boult hopes to get three or four spells under his belt with the slightly longer break between the first two Tests working in his favour.

“It’s about being confident with the overs under my belt and having enough behind me,” he said. “Feel like I’m in that place and ticking the right boxes. It’s a day-by-day thing, it’s about getting through each session. As I’m tracking right now, touch wood it keeps going that way. I’m very eager to get out there. “It’s nice to have seven or eight days. I’ll be using it the best I can. It will be nice to get some cricket but guess they’ll make a call as late as they can.”