Boult becomes third-fastest to 200 ODI wickets

CHENNAI, India, Oct 13 (Agencies): Veteran New Zealand fast bowler Trent Boult has become the third-fastest bowler tocomplete 200 ODI wickets. He accomplished the milestone with his second wicket in Friday's World Cup clash against Bangladesh.

Boult, who made his ODI debut back in 2012, took 107 matches to accomplish 200 ODI wickets. While Australia's Mitchell Starc is the fastest to the milestone (102 matches), Pakistan's Saqlain Mushtaq (104) is second on the list. The next Kiwi bowler on this list is former pacer Kyle Mills, who took 135 games to complete a double-century of ODI wickets.

Boult, 34, reached the personal landmark when he dismissed Towhid Hridoy, caught at extra cover by Mitchell Santner for 13, in the 38th over.

Playing in his 107th ODI, Boult is the sixth New Zealand bowler to break the 200-wicket mark in the format.

Earlier Friday, he had dismissed Liton Das, celebrating his 29th birthday, off the first ball of the match.

Meanwhile, he joined a unique list with the first-ball wicket in the match the ICC World Cup 2023 at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.

The left-arm pacer removed Bangladesh opener Liton Das for a golden duck in the very first delivery of the match to become only the sixth bowler in ODI World Cup history to achieve the rare feat.

Boult joined the likes of Craig McDermott, Chaminda Vaas, Khuram Chohan, Sheldon Cottrell and Kagiso Rabada to take a wicket in the first ball of an ODI World Cup match.

While this is his first-ever first-ball of the match scalp in ODI World Cup, Boult has taken a first-ball wicket in two other ODI matches prior to the latest dimissal of Das.

Earlier this year in September, the left-arm seamer removed England's Jonny Bairstow of the very first ball in the ODI match at Kennington Oval in London, while his first-ever first-ball ODI match wicket was also an England player - Bairstow's partner Jason Roy in 2015.

While Boult has claimed a first-ball of the match wicket in ODI three times now, another left arm pacer - Sri Lanka great Vaas holds the record for most first ball wickets with five scalps.

The scalp of Litton Das also took Boult close to a milestone. He is now 1 wicket away from 200 wickets in ODI cricket. He is well on course to become the fastest Kiwi player to achielve the milestone and only the sixth from the country to claim 200 ODI wickets.