Australia holds no fear for Boult

It would be entirely understandable if Trent Boult was to query why the notion of New Zealand defeating Australia at cricket seems so far-fetched.

The lightly built left-arm swing bowler from the Maori cultural hub of Rotorua first encountered his nation's vaunted cricket rivals at the 2008 Under-19 World Cup in Malaysia where his young Black Caps outfit reached the semi-final stage before bowing out against eventual champions India.

NZ's unexpected progress at that event was attributable largely to having two of the tournament's top six wicket takers, Boult and his boyhood bowling partner Tim Southee.

By contrast, the Australia team that included current Test skipper Steve Smith, Josh Hazlewood, James Pattinson, James Faulkner and the late Phillip Hughes found themselves playing off for fifth place having crashed to Sri Lanka and Pakistan.

When Boult made his Test debut as a 22-year-old three years later, he played a pivotal part in New Zealand's historic victory over Australia in Hobart, the Black Caps' only victory on the far side of the Tasman Sea since their one and only series win in Australia in 1985.

Of his 32 Tests to date, it remains his only battle against the most successful cricket nation of his lifetime – until the neighbours meet again at the 'Gabba in Brisbane from Thursday in the first of three Tests over the coming month.

Similarly, Boult's first one-day international against Australia came in February this year when – in front of a delirious packed house at Auckland's Eden Park – he captured a memorable 5-27 to be crowned man of the match in NZ's stirring one-wicket win.

A victory that paved their path to the following month's World Cup Final where, for the first and only time in his international career, Boult tasted defeat at the hands of his country's fiercest sporting rivals.

But despite a playing history that has dealt him more triumph than trauma against a team routinely employed as the benchmark for cricket countries, Boult and his fellow Black Caps exhibit a decided discomfort in being installed as favourites to lift the Trans-Tasman Trophy this month.

"I don't know about favourites," Boult told cricket.com.au in response to claims his team's recent record of having not lost a Test series to any comer in more than two years might place them marginally ahead of a revamped Australia outfit with bookmakers.

"Obviously Australia is going through a bit of phase of rebuilding with some new personnel coming in, but that's not a reason for us to take them lightly.

"They're in the Australian side for a reason and that's because they're good cricketers.

"We won (in Hobart) four years ago but in terms of a series we haven't won here in 30 years.

"There's a bit of motivation there, but the guys have been travelling extremely well over the last year and a half to two years and we're looking forward to bringing that form that we've had over the past wee while and hopefully we will be very competitive here."

If the Black Caps are to transcend 'competitive' and overturn three decades of history by pocketing a series win on Australian soil, then Boult and his close mate Southee will be required to perform a bulk of the heavy lifting.

The friends have risen from the days of representative cricket to assume places within the top 10 of the ICC's top-ranked Test bowlers, with their skipper from that 2008 Under-19 World Cup squad Kane Williamson similarly ensconced among the top 10 Test batsmen.

At a sponsor event in Brisbane on Monday, Hazlewood identified NZ's new-ball pair as the greatest threat to an Australia batting line-up vastly different to the one that took the field against India at the 'Gabba a year ago.

Quick Single: Hazlewood prepares for Kiwi challenge

And added that he expected the home team to therefore target NZ's third seamer (expected to be Doug Bracewell) and off-spinner Mark Craig as the most viable sources of runs.

Boult, who has played alongside right-arm outswing bowler Southee since the lads were paired together at under-17 level for their country, is doing his best to dampen the expectation.

"The fact that we're good mates and we've grown up literally through the under 17s and under 19s cricket and formed a good little partnership there," Boult said by way of explanation for the chemistry that underpins his union with Southee.

"Basically one swings it one way, one swings it the other and we love doing it.

"We're backed up well by our mates in the rest of the bowling attack and we've been lucky to enjoy some success but it's going to be a totally different challenge here (in Australia) and it's going to be good to see where we are against one of the best teams in the world.

"We're obviously led well by Brendon (McCullum) and ... we've got some good traits in our side, the bowling attack is travelling really well and we're backed up by some decent batsmen so it's all about putting that together on the park.

"A lot of guys are good mates with each other in the side and we're just loving representing our country.

"We're definitely trying to do it with a smile on our face."

As New Zealand basks in the reflected glory of the All Blacks – the principal source of sporting pride across the Tasman – and their Rugby World Cup win over Australia last weekend, the upcoming Commonwealth Bank Test series marks a resumption of cricket ties between the neighbours.

Given the enduring rivalries in other sports (including the recent hard-fought Constellation Cup netball series), the close geographical proximity and the complementary fortunes that led to last March's ICC World Cup final being contested by the tournament's co-hosts, the paucity of matches in the past five years seems a curious oversight.

In that time, Australia and New Zealand have played just twice in Tests and four times in ODIs, with all of those limited-overs encounters occurring under the auspices of global ICC tournaments.

That imbalance will be partly redressed in coming months when, in the wake of the coming Tests in Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide, Australia will make its first Test tour to New Zealand since 2010 when it plays two matches (and three ODIs) across the Tasman next February.

With a 100 per cent success rate against Australia in Tests, Boult's palpable enthusiasm for the resumption of hostilities between the once great rivals is understandable.

"It's been a lull for a few years but it will be exciting," he said.

"Cricket New Zealand is humming at the moment, so I'm sure there will be a lot of people behind us."