England were tipped to target Scott Boland in the Ashes series and they did just that on the opening day in Perth with Mark Waugh claiming the quick bowled his ‘loosest’ spell since making his Test debut. Australian cricket fans were quick back Boland’s Ashes return with suggestions England would continue their tactics against the veteran quick.
Boland has an incredible record in Australia when wearing the baggy green, but felt the force of England’s ‘Bazball’ approach two years ago when the home side’s batters smacked him around the ground. The Aussie took just two wickets in as many Tests in that series in England and went for around five runs an over.
Mark Waugh (pictured left) claimed Scott Boland (pictured right) bowled his ‘loosest’ spell since making his Test debut in the first session of the first Ashes Test. (Images: Getty Images)
But he was backed to trouble the English batting line-up with his line and length on a bouncy Perth pitch. Although Boland struggled to start the first session with Ben Duckett and Ollie Pope using their aggressive approach to take the quick down the ground.
Mitchell Starc was relentless having dismissed Zac Crawley, Ben Duckett and Joe Root in the first session. Boland didn’t have the same success. The quick was 0-29 after four overs with the 36-year-old struggling to find his rhythm.
This prompted Aussie cricket great Waugh to claim it was the: “Loosest three overs I’ve seen him bowl in his whole Test career’. Only the second ball after lunch, Harry Brook charged down the pitch and launched Boland for six over long off in an effortless shot.
But the move once again prompted a change from Boland who was adjusting to the barrage. Starc and Australia are relying on Boland to step-up in the first Test.
This comes as Brendan Doggett is making his debut and Cameron Green building his way back to full fitness. And Australia will need Boland to find his line and length again as they look to maintain their dominant start on day one.
Scott Boland tipped to thrive in Ashes
Before a ball was bowled, SEN commentator Bryce McGain predicted Boland would take more than 25 wickets this series having returned with a desire to prove the doubters wrong. “Boland is going to have a mighty series,” McGain said on SEN Breakfast.
“He is just about bullet proof. “He is a calm gentleman on the outside, inside there is a fire burning. He will prove to that English team he is a different person to deal with in Australia. It’ll be 25 wickets plus for Scotty this series, he is going to be dynamic.” And he isn’t the only one backing Boland to make an emphatic statement in this Ashes series.
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His former coach, Nick Jewell, backed Boland to show no mercy this time around in front of an adoring home crowd. “His transformation over two years was hard to believe,” Jewell told the BBC. “He is almost like a hired assassin. He is so calm, cool and collected.
“You very rarely see a change in his attitude or demeanour whether it is going good or bad. At times you thought as a coach, ‘Am I getting through to this bloke?’ but you saw it in the changes in his game and performances.”
Scott Boland admits to change ahead of Ashes
Speaking before the start of the first Test, Boland admitted he has become better at handling the pressure and relishing the mental battle out in the middle. “I know there’s going to be spells where, even the other day I was going for five or six an over,” Boland told reporters.
“I think I’m getting better at managing my mind around all that stuff. Sometimes when you’re used to going for two an over in Shield games, you can look up and be going for five or six and it’s a bit different. So it’s just managing those emotions.
“I think I did that pretty well the other day and was able to fight back and bowl a really good spell. It gives me confidence that if I’m not quite at my best I can still find it during a day or during a spell.”
Scott Boland (pictured left) has been tipped to have a big series with Ben Stokes (pictured right) and England set to target him like they did in the last Ashes series. (Images: Getty Images)