Boland ignites another hellish nightmare for England despite going over a run-a-ball in his first innings effort.
How Boland sparked another Ashes nightmare for England.
Following the first day of the Ashes series, there were concerns regarding Scott Boland.
Former England captain Michael Atherton’s pre-series claim that England did not fear him turned out to be accurate, as they clattered him for 62 from 10 overs on a pitch where Mitchell Starc claimed a career-high seven wickets and 19 wickets fell in a single day.
There would have been legitimate concerns about where Australia’s selectors could go if Boland was benched from the series, given that Pat Cummins is still a 50/50 candidate to play in Brisbane, as well as concerns about Josh Hazlewood’s participation in the series at all and doubts about his ability to play in consecutive Tests.
On day two, however, he had a game-changing spell that allayed all doubts. He took 3 for 3 in 11 deliveries, including the valuable scalps of Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, and Harry Brook, on his way to figures of 4 for 33, which hushed the naysayers and brought his incredible home average back to 13.47.
There was a perception that England had allowed Boland to return to the series by hesitant batting, which was the exact opposite of what their strategy stood for and what had previously held Boland under control. Ben Stokes supported this perception in the aftermath.
That might be accurate. But Boland never found his length, so England hardly needed to hit him off it on the first day.
Boland was bowling at Perth Stadium for the first time, and during his first spell with the new ball, he strayed far too full and straight. It wasn’t necessary for Duckett to charge at him. He just pounded half-volley after half-volley down the ground while remaining still.
Boland might have been nervous. In the build-up, he had acknowledged to a sizable media gathering that he had been considering this series for two years after reflecting on the events of 2023 for a considerable amount of time. Boland is a recluse. It’s understandable that he would have overanalysed the situation.
In the lead-up, he had also not been bowling at his best in Sheffield Shield cricket.
England might blame themselves for letting Boland into the series, but take nothing away from a spell that added to his extraordinary record on home soil.