Happy Birthday Trent Boult: A look at his amazing feats
What's the story
New Zealand fast bowler Trent Boult turned 31 on Wednesday.
The left-arm seamer has been leading the Kiwi pace attack for years.
He poses a serious threat to batsmen, carrying an ability to swing the ball both ways.
Meanwhile, his versatility across formats makes him one of the most complete bowlers in modern day cricket.
We take a look at his splendid feats.
Career
Trent Boult in international cricket
Boult made his international debut in the 2011 Hobart Test against Australia.
He straightaway impressed by taking a match haul of four wickets.
In the following years, he broke into the ODI and T20I sides respectively.
So far, Boult has accounted for 470 wickets from 184 internationals at an incredible average of 26.35.
Notably, 267 of these scalps have been registered in Test cricket.
WC 2015
Joint-highest wicket-taker of the tournament
While Mitchell Starc hogged all the limelight with his searing deliveries in the 2015 World Cup, Boult fetched similar results.
The latter might have not matched the pace of Starc, his scintillating spells were pivotal for New Zealand's success.
Boult emerged as the joint-highest wicket-taker of the tournament.
He snapped up 22 wickets from nine matches at 16.86.
ODI wickets
Boult has this special record in ODIs
In June 2019, Boult reached the 150-wicket mark in ODIs.
He achieved the milestone in 81 matches, second-fastest at that time.
However, this record was bettered by his counterpart Starc a day later, when he bagged 150 ODI wickets in 77 matches.
Nevertheless, Boult remains at number three presently with Pakistan's Saqlain Mushtaq holding the second spot (78).
Test wickets
Second-fastest to 250 Test wickets
Following the 2019 World Cup, Boult became the third bowler from New Zealand to take 250 wickets in Test cricket.
He achieved the mark in 63 Tests, thereby becoming the second-fastest Kiwi bowler to do so after Sir Richard Hadlee (53).
Interestingly, Boult's compatriot Tim Southee also completed 250 Test wickets in the same match.
He took 67 matches to get there.
Hat-trick
Only bowler from New Zealand to take a WC hat-trick
Boult is the only Kiwi bowler to have taken a World Cup hat-trick.
He achieved the distinction in last year's World Cup clash against Australia, having dismissed Usman Khawaja, Mitchell Starc and Jason Behrendorff.
Overall, the pace spearhead became the 11th bowler to pick a hat-trick in World Cup history.
It was Boult's second ODI hat-trick after he clinched one against Pakistan in 2018.