‘431 would be quite nice’

13 December 2020, 18:00 PM

UPDATED 14 December 2020, 00:12 AM

New Zealand’s pacers ripped through the West Indies batting order again on the third day, first taking the two wickets needed to enforce a follow on and then reducing the visitors to 244 for six in their second essay at stumps in Wellington yesterday. Photo: COLLECTED

New Zealand’s bowlers again ripped through West Indies’ batting lineup to push them to the brink of a comprehensive victory in the second and final Test as they reduced the tourists to 244-6 in their second innings at the end of the third day on Sunday.

New Zealand's bowlers again ripped through West Indies' batting lineup to push them to the brink of a comprehensive victory in the second and final Test as they reduced the tourists to 244-6 in their second innings at the end of the third day on Sunday.

Trent Boult and Tim Southee Both starred on a truncated day three. Southee cleaned up the final two wickets of the West Indies first innings to bag his 11th five-wicket haul in Tests, while Boult, wicketless and luckless in the first innings, has three of in the second.

For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel.

Southee sits on 294 Test scalps, while Boult has 272.

Boult has all but conceded his great mate and new-ball partner Southee will get to 300 Test wickets before him.

"I haven't really thought about [300]," Boult said, not altogether convincingly.

"If there's a race to 431 it'd be quite nice," he said of overhauling Sir Richard Hadlee's long-standing New Zealand record.

"I just thoroughly enjoy bowling with him. We've been good mates for a number of years now and we complement each other very nicely."