Black Caps coach Mike Hesson is remaining cautiously optimistic about Bay of Plenty bowler Trent Boult's chances of playing in the third and final test against Australia on Friday.

The left arm swing bowler has struggled to find form of late, and has been hampered with a niggling back injury.

Trent Boult is an injury doubt for the third test against Australia. Photo: File.

Trent didn't bowl during the two-day match against a Western Australian XI in Perth due to an irritated disc in his back, but Mike has described the injury as 'nothing major”.

It's not the first time Trent has suffered the injury, with the world's number six skipping the ODI series against England as well as missing the tour of South Africa and Zimbabwe earlier this year.

The Western Australian match was aimed at giving the Black Caps a chance to trial the pink ball ahead of the weekend's day-night test at the Adelaide Oval.

Mike's side head to Adelaide today after drawing the practice match last night.

Trent's only bowling during the practice match was off a few steps before play on day two.

He is being carefully managed due to what his coach described as a 'disc irritation” similar to what Tim Southee suffered – and overcame – after the first test in Brisbane.

Asked whether he had major concerns about his availability or if he was confident Boult would play, Mike says: 'I wouldn't say I'm either, really.

'We've got a plan. He's going to have to bowl flat-out two days out from the test. If he's able to get through that then he'll be considered.”

The practice match gave opening batsman Martin Guptil some much needed batting time.

The right handed batsman made 103 before retiring in the two-day game, and confirmed the pink ball had finished in a much better condition than in a previous trial in Canberra.

The test gets underway at 4.30pm (NZ time) at the Adelaide Oval on Friday.