Trent Boult
Trent Boult (Credits: Twitter)

Trent Boult smashed 17 valuable runs off 15 balls against England and in the process managed to actually set a run-scoring record in Test cricket.

Trent Boult is one of the greatest fast bowlers of his generation and will go down as an all-time New Zealand great when he retires with the ball. However, he is not particularly well known for his batting prowess and so it is not always that you see his name being taken while speaking about a new batting record being set.

Trent Boult smashed 17 off 16 balls (Getty Images)
Trent Boult smashed 17 off 16 balls (Getty Images)

Trent Boult Becomes Highest Scoring No. 11 In Tests Surpassing Muttiah Muralitharan And Is Closely Followed By James Anderson

Trent Boult went on to become the highest-scoring No.11 in the history of Test cricket. Trent Boult smashed 17 runs in 15 balls against New Zealand on Day 5 of the second Test at Trent Bridge and took his overall tally at the position to 640 runs from 79 innings.

James Anderson
James Anderson (AP Photo/Andy Brownbill)

Sri Lanka spin great Muttiah Muralitharan previously held the record, having scored 623 runs in 98 innings. Trent Boult averages 16.41 and has an unbeaten 52 against Bangladesh batting at No.11. It is to be noted that England veteran James Anderson, who was eventually the man who dismissed Trent Boult and ended the New Zealand innings, is hot on Trent Boult’s heels with 618 runs in 165 innings.

James Anderson (618 in 165 innings), Glenn McGrath (603 in 128 innings) and Courtney Walsh (553 runs in 122 innings) round off the top five on the list. Muttiah Muralitharan leads the charts in ODIs, with 170 runs in 59 innings while Ireland’s Josh Little, with 38 runs in eight innings, is the leading run-scorer at No.11 in T20Is.

Trent Boult’s inning was a part of a 35-run stand with Daryl Mitchell for the 10th wicket which took New Zealand’s lead close to 300 runs. It meant that they set hosts England a target of 299 runs to win the second Test and thus seal a series victory.

England Wins 2nd Test Against New Zealand To Have An Unassailable 2-0 Lead

England chased down 299 on day five of the second Test with ridiculous ease as Jonny Bairstow clobbered a 92-ball 136. New Zealand set 299 for England in a minimum of 72 overs; however, the hosts took only 50 overs to achieve it. Jonny Bairstow also deservedly earned the ‘Player of the Match’ award.

Jonny Bairstow Photo- EPA
Jonny Bairstow Photo- EPA

Earlier in the first innings, New Zealand had posted a mammoth total of 553 after England had elected to bowl. Daryl Mitchell scored his third Test ton, hitting a brilliant 190, while wicketkeeper-batter Tom Blundell also scored a ton (106). In reply, Joe Root and Ollie Pope played marathon knocks of 176 and 145 and took England to 539, trailing New Zealand by 14 runs. New Zealand scored 284 in the 2nd innings, setting England a target of 299.

England 539 (Root 176, Pope 145, Lees 67, Foakes 56, Boult 5-106) and 299 for 5 (Bairstow 136, Stokes 75*, Lees 44) beat New Zealand 553 (Mitchell 190, Blundell 106, Anderson 3-62) and 284 (Mitchell 62*, Young 56, Conway 52, Broad 3-70) by five wickets