Cricket: Cup overflows for pumped-up Boult

Trent Boult, left, and Kane Williamson celebrate after beating Australia. Photo / Getty Images

Trent Boult has come a long way as a cricketer since he was running in to bowl against South Africa at Mount Maunganui's Bay Oval last October.

At that stage he was rated behind Mitch McClenaghan in the Black Caps' one-day team. Not any more. He is one of the best-performed pace bowlers at the Cricket World Cup and last month landed a massive $800,000 contract in the Indian Premier League.

But Boult is not getting ahead of himself.

It is not in the makeup of the polite 25-year-old, who grew up playing cricket in Tauranga with his great mate and fellow Black Cap Kane Williamson. Their paths first crossed at intermediate school level.

"It has definitely been a pretty full-on summer but I am loving being involved in the white-ball format," Boult said. "Obviously this World Cup is a massive goal of mine and to be here and to be playing at home, going through what we are going through, it is pretty special that's for sure," he said.

"We have enjoyed some good success with the wins we have had and to be touring around New Zealand and getting the following we are getting has been something pretty special. It is definitely an exciting time for New Zealand cricket."

The game of the summer so far has to be that unforgettable one-wicket win by the Black Caps over Australia at Eden Park on February 28. Boult took five wickets to rip Australia apart before a batting collapse saw him walk out into the cauldron as the last batsman to join Williamson, with six runs needed to win.

Boult defended two deliveries from destroyer Mitchell Starc to set up the unforgettable ending as Williamson calmly dispatched the next ball into the crowd to win the match.

"I was pretty fired up. It was a nerve-wracking situation to be put in but is something I will look back on and be pretty proud of," Boult said. "Kane was good. Everyone knows how level-headed he is and he slowed me down pretty well and made sure I got through those couple of balls to set him up for what he did."

Boult says the Black Caps are not thinking about the upcoming quarter-final in Wellington on March 21.

First they have to get past Bangladesh in Hamilton today, a team who have beaten the Black Caps in the last seven ODIs between the sides, all played in Bangladesh since 2010-11.

"We obviously have a big game [today] against Bangladesh. We are pretty firmly fixed on what's going on here and once that is done and dusted we can move forward to the next one," Boult said.