With 11 wickets in three Test matches in this year’s Ashes, Australian pacer Scott Boland is reminding fans of his maiden Ashes series, where he took 18 wickets including a spell of six for seven in his maiden Test. Boland, who could only take two wickets during the 2023 Ashes in England, had started wicket-less in the first innings in the first Test of The Ashes before he returned with a four-wicket haul in the second innings of the Perth test. With Australia leading the Ashes 3-0, it will also be for the first time that 36-year-old Boland will play his fourth connective Ashes Test and the 36-year-old has talked about his plan to bowl with wicket-keeper Alex Carey up to the stumps has helped his cause.
“I remember speaking to Andrew (McDonald) on the phone and he said, ‘Just get your head around maybe bowling with a keeper up to the stumps, because their batters like to move around the crease a lot’. If we can get them camped where you want them to be, at least you know where they’re going to be and the length you’re going to bowl. But because I’ve never really had it before, I just didn’t really feel comfortable with it. As a fast bowler, you don’t really like seeing the keeper up the stumps. But I’ve seen over the last month how effective it is and how still I can keep their batters by Alex being up to the stumps.” shared Boland, while speaking with reporters in Melbourne.
At Perth, Boland removed England batsmen Ben Dukett, Olie Pope and Harry Brook in the space of 11 balls with all the three trying to drive the ball on the up. Boland has taken seven wickets in the next two Tests and will lead the Australian pace attack at Melbourne. Boland talked about how he had the wicket-keeper up in the past and he ended up bowling a little bit fuller. Boland also shared how Carey showed up his experience in keeping against his bowling at the bouncy pitch at Brisbane. “In the past, when I’ve had the keeper up, I haven’t felt that comfortable, and you end up bowling a little bit fuller. But I’ve got full trust in ‘Kez’ (Alex Carey) that if I hit my normal length, and if the ball does go above the stumps, he’s got amazing hands. He’s been really keeping the pressure on the England batters with him coming up with the stumps. We speak every couple of overs … if he’s feeling that he’s better off being back, then I trust him. If he’s like, ‘No, I want to come up, I think we can shut them on the crease,’ then I back his judgment there as well. I just need to trust that the length balls I bowl to try and nick guys off is the same ball I want to bowl when he’s up to the stumps or when he’s back. The Gabba was pretty bouncy and he was up to the stumps for a fair bit of it, and catching balls above waist high. I bowled a bouncer and he caught that. So I’ve got full trust in him up there.” Boland said.
In Melbourne, Australia have drafted off-spinner Todd Murphy and fast bowler Jhye Richardson with Boland, Mitchell Starc certain to start with other pacers including Michel Neser in the side fighting for the spot in the final XI. Boland spoke about how the bowling unit is looking forward to putting their best foot forward. “I think it shows the strength we’ve got, that we’ve got three really good guys who can come in and we know they can do the job. I’m sure whoever plays will be keen to make their mark. ‘Ness’ (Michael Neser) bowled really well (in Brisbane) and got five wickets, then unfortunately, got left out in the last game.
“‘Doggy’ (Brendan Doggett) has done really well in the games he’s played so far. We’re all hungry to keep performing and none of us are really guaranteed a spot when we’re at full strength, so we just want to keep putting our best foot forward as much as we can.” said Boland.
