Massive Setback for Australia Just Before the Brisbane Test
The Ashes is about to bring another setback for Australia ahead of the second Test. Australia has already taken a lead by winning the first Test, as they now prepare for the Brisbane match. Josh Hazlewood, their primary fast bowler, is expected to miss the next Test too.
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International career
Scott Michael Boland was born on 11 April 1989 in Mordialloc, Victoria. He plays as a right-arm fast-medium bowler. He has played for the Australian national team and also represents Victoria and the Melbourne Stars in domestic matches.
Boland is among the few Indigenous players who have reached the international level. By December 2021, he became the second male Aboriginal cricketer to play Test cricket for Australia, after Jason Gillespie.
His Test debut came in December 2021 during the Ashes. In that match at the MCG, he took 6 wickets for just 7 runs. That performance helped Australia win the game and brought a lot of attention to his talent.
In 2023, Boland was part of the Australian squad that won the ICC World Test Championship final. His strong bowling and steady line helped him become a trusted player on the national team.
2016
- January 12: ODI debut vs India at WACA. Went for 0/74 – worst figures by an Australian debutant.
- Played all 5 ODIs in the India series; finished with 1 wicket for 333 runs.
- January 29: T20I debut vs India at Melbourne. Played 2 of 3 matches, took no wickets.
- February: Toured New Zealand, played 2 ODIs due to injury to Kane Richardson. Took 2/61 and 2/59.
- June: Played in tri-series vs West Indies and South Africa. Took 2/69 against West Indies.
- July–August: Toured Sri Lanka. Played 2 ODIs (2 wickets, avg 32) and 1 T20I (3/26 – his best T20I figures).
- Total ODIs in 2016: 14 matches, all international appearances in this format came during this year.
2017–2020
- No international appearances.
- Continued to play domestic cricket.
- Improved performances in the Sheffield Shield and other domestic competitions.
2018
- Selected in the Aboriginal XI touring England to honour the 1868 Aboriginal team.
- Played 6 matches, took 5 wickets (avg 28.40).
- Won the Taverners Australia Indigenous Cricketer of the Year award.
2021
- Named as injury cover for the third Ashes Test.
- December 26–28: Test debut vs England at MCG.
- Took 6/7 in the second innings.
- Finished with 7 wickets in the match.
- Won the Mullagh Medal.
- Played the last three Ashes Tests.
- Took 18 wickets at 9.55 average.
2022
- Played the 2nd Test vs West Indies.
- Took 3/16 in the second innings with a key 3-wicket maiden.
- Played the first two Tests vs South Africa.
- Took 4/42 and 3/83 across both games.
- Replaced by Hazlewood in the 3rd Test.
2023
- June: Played in the ICC World Test Championship Final vs India.
- Took 2/59 and 3/46.
- Dismissed Gill, Kohli, and Jadeja in the 2nd innings.
- Participated in the Ashes series in England.
- Played 2 Tests.
- Best figures 1/60.
- Hit career-best score of 20 in the 4th innings of the 1st Test.
2024–2025
- Played in the Border–Gavaskar Trophy.
- Played the Adelaide pink-ball Test and the last two Tests in Melbourne and Sydney.
- In Melbourne, he built a key 56-run last-wicket stand with Lyon.
- In Sydney, he took 4/31 and 6/45 for his first 10-wicket match haul.
- Won Player of the Match in Sydney.
- Australia won the series 3–1; regained the Border–Gavaskar Trophy after 10 years.
- Boland took 21 wickets in 6 innings at 13.02 average — the third highest wicket-taker in the series.
Test Career Summary (as of Jan 5, 2025)
- Debut: Dec 26, 2021 vs England (Melbourne)
- Last Match: Jan 5, 2025 vs India (Sydney)
ODI Career Summary
- Debut: Jan 12, 2016 vs India (WACA)
- Last Match: Oct 12, 2016 vs South Africa (Cape Town)
T20I Career Summary
- Debut: Jan 29, 2016 vs India (Melbourne)
- Last Match: Sep 6, 2016 vs Sri Lanka (Pallekele)
Leagues Participation
Scott Boland has played in both the Indian Premier League and the Big Bash League. His main impact has been in the BBL, where he represented Melbourne Stars, then Hobart Hurricanes, and later returned to the Stars in 2023.
Indian Premier League
Rising Pune Supergiant signed Scott Boland for USD 103,000 ahead of the 2016 season. He played only one match, debuting against the Mumbai Indians on May 1, 2016, in Pune.
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Year
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Team
|
Notes
|
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2016
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Rising Pune Supergiant
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Played 1 match; signed for USD 103,000
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2017–Present
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—
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Did not participate; not picked by any franchise
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Big Bash League
Scott Boland began his BBL journey with Melbourne Stars in 2013 and played six seasons. He moved to the Hobart Hurricanes from 2019 to 2022, then returned to the Stars in 2023. He missed the 2022/23 season due to national duties with the Test team.
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Year
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Team
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Notes
|
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2013/14–2018/19
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Melbourne Stars
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Played 31 matches; best BBL figures 4/30 in 2017
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2019/20–2021/22
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Hobart Hurricanes
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Wore number 25; key part of the bowling attack
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2022/23
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—
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Skipped season due to Test commitments
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2023/24–Present
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Melbourne Stars
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Signed a 3-year deal; returned to strengthen the squad after a poor season
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Domestic career
Scott Boland was born in Mordialloc, Melbourne, and went to school in Parkdale and Mentone. His cricket journey started very early—he played his first match at age six for Parkdale Cricket Club in an under-12 competition. He stayed at the club until age 16, playing 41 matches and taking 31 wickets at an average of 12.35. After that, he moved to Frankston Peninsula, where his development continued under coach Nick Jewell. His early years there were slow, but he showed progress in second grade, taking 37 wickets in 2008/09. In the following seasons, his first-grade performances improved, which led to a rookie contract with Victoria in 2010/11.
In 2011, Boland made his Sheffield Shield debut for Victoria against Western Australia. He finished that season with 9 wickets from three matches. The 2012/13 season was quiet—he wasn’t a regular pick, though he had a few solid performances, including a five-wicket haul in the Ryobi Cup. His Sheffield Shield form started to grow in 2013/14 with 19 wickets in 9 matches and a 51-run knock as nightwatchman. In the Ryobi Cup that season, he led Victoria’s pace attack with 9 wickets and strong bowling against New South Wales.
During 2014/15, Boland became a core part of Victoria’s attack. He helped the team win the Sheffield Shield title with 25 wickets, including a career-best 6/49. In the Matador Cup, he helped secure a narrow win by defending 8 runs in the final over. The next summer, 2015/16, was key in his rise. His 7/31 against Western Australia stood out, and he finished with 33 wickets at 20.93, winning the Bill Lawry Medal and playing for Australia the following January.
Boland remained reliable in the seasons that followed. In 2017/18, he picked up 38 wickets at 26.92, including 8/129 in one match. He kept playing in Victoria’s one-day setup, though his numbers in the JLT Cup were modest that year. The 2018/19 season brought his best domestic form—48 wickets in the Shield at 19.66. He helped Victoria dominate, collecting two five-wicket hauls and finishing the season as the top wicket-taker for his team. His efforts were rewarded with the Sheffield Shield Player of the Season award.
In June 2023, Boland signed a new three-year contract to return to the Melbourne Stars in the Big Bash League, reconnecting with his first T20 franchise.
Records and achievements
Scott Boland earned recognition for his performances at the domestic and international levels. His awards and records highlight important moments and key contributions throughout his career:
- In the 2018–19 season, Boland took 45 wickets at an average of 19.8 and won the Sheffield Shield Player of the Year award. He also received the Indigenous Cricketer of the Year title from Taverners Australia.
- During the 2021–22 Ashes series, Boland took 6 wickets for 7 runs in England’s second innings at the MCG. This earned him the Mullagh Medal. He became only the second male Indigenous player to represent Australia in Test cricket.
- In June 2023, Boland played a major role in Australia’s victory in the ICC World Test Championship Final against India.
- In the 2024 Border-Gavaskar Trophy, he took 15 wickets in three matches at an average of 14.67.
- Across the 2024–25 series against India, Boland took 21 wickets in three Tests, significantly helping Australia win the series.
Personal life
Scott Boland holds family and his Indigenous background in high regard. He discovered his Aboriginal roots in his twenties and has since connected with his heritage deeply. Away from cricket, his life centers around his family and personal interests.
Family
Boland has two daughters with his wife, Daphne. His brother Nick also played professional cricket at the state level. The brothers played together for the first time during the 2018 Indigenous tour of England.
Finance
By 2024, Boland’s net worth reached about 2 million US dollars. He owns a modest home in Melbourne and invests in property and cars.
Scandals
In 2023, some debates arose around Boland being left out of the national team in favor of others like Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood. Fans showed frustration after his exclusion from a match against South Africa. Despite this, Ricky Ponting described Boland as one of the happiest players in Australian cricket and supported the selectors’ calls. In 2024, Boland missed a Border-Gavaskar Trophy match due to Hazlewood’s return from injury.
Fans
Boland has about 91,000 followers on Instagram as of 2024.
