Latest news with #ScottBoland
The Australian
19 hours ago
- Sport
- The Australian
West Indies vs Australia Test series: Nathan Lyon on being dropped for pink-ball match
The off-spinner, who is just one scalp away from drawing level with Glenn McGrath as Australia's second-highest Test taker, was axed for the third and final Test in the West Indies earlier this month when national selectors favoured a four-strong pace attack, including Scott Boland at Lyon's expense. It was the first time Lyon had been dropped for a Test since 2013. The panel's bold call proved vindicated when Australia completed a 176-run win inside three days, bowling the Windies out for 27 in their second innings with Boland taking a hat-trick. Australian skipper Pat Cummins left the door ajar after the match for the ploy to be used again, but Lyon said he was confident that the specific set of circumstances – a pink Duke's ball and a larger than usual proportion of overs under lights because of Kingston's relatively early sunset – meant he would not be looking over his shoulder for Australia's next day-night Test at the Gabba in December. 'I honestly feel like that's a one-off thing. I feel like day-night Test cricket, there's what, five sessions in the night, and there's still 10 sessions in the day in which spin plays a massive role,' Lyon told this masthead on Tuesday ahead of a Melbourne Renegades sponsor function. 'So I feel like there's still a lot of cricket being played in a lot of roles for spinners within pink ball. So I think that's just a one-off occasion.' Lyon says he had seen warning signs in the days leading up to the Test, so was less surprised than most about his omission. 'I've been around long enough so I can kind of read the room a little bit. So yeah, I wasn't surprised when I got told, (and) I understood what they were thinking. But yeah still disappointed,' Lyon said. It was especially hard to stomach given it was the 100th Test of Starc, arguably Lyon's closest friend in the Australian team. 'Obviously, I was disappointed to miss out on the Test match. That's purely because I believe I can play a role in any conditions, anywhere in the world,' Lyon said. 'But also to miss out on Starcy's 100th Test match, to walk out there with him would have been amazing, but all in all the guys played exceptional and won the series three-nil. So can't complain on that front.' Lyon, 37, said the pill had been made slightly easier to swallow by the fact his place was being taken by the rampant Boland. 'If I'm ever going to miss a game, Scott Boland is probably the guy that you want to see go in there and do well. Scotty, he's an incredible cricketer, but he's even better bloke. So yeah, I'm pretty happy to see him go out there and perform the way he did. So all in all, I think the whole bowling group were pretty impressive over the whole series.' With his sights now firmly set on England this summer, Lyon opted not to cast judgment on the tensions in the recent England-India Test, but envisaged that pre-series posturing around acceptable behaviour were part and parcel of the build-up to any Ashes series. 'I've been around long enough, I've seen a lot of it, but they're coming out here, and it's going to be an exciting summer. They're building the theatre behind it already. That's going to be all good fun.' Aussie master blaster's insane record-breaking knock Cricket England badgers the rest of world cricket about adhering to the spirit of the game. Yet the game's self-appointed moral compass — and its outspoken captain — can't even adhere to the laws it made. Cricket State cricket authorities have discussed moving Sydney's iconic New Year's Test as a new report calls for a radical shake-up to the summer schedule to allow more stars to feature in the BBL.
The Australian
17-07-2025
- Sport
- The Australian
Cricket: Scott Boland ranked sixth best bowler in the world
He only plays one Test at a time but Scott Boland has vaulted into the top 10 on the ICC rankings on the back of his West Indian hat-trick. Boland, who took 3-2 in the final Test in Jamaica after being overlooked for the first two, is now the sixth ranked bowler in the world, ahead of man-of-the series Mitch Starc, who is 10th. The entire first-choice Australian attack all sit comfortably in the top 10, with captain Pat Cummins at three, Josh Hazlewood at four and spin star Nathan Lyon, who was left out for Boland in the West Indies, at number eight. It's a staggering feat for Boland, who has resigned himself to being a horses-for-courses selection, behind Cummins, Hazlewood and Starc despite performing whenever called upon. Australia's Scott Boland celebrates after his hat-trick. Picture: AP Photo/Ricardo Mazalan The 36-year-old Victorian took three wickets in both innings of the final Test, a day-night affair at Sabina Park, taking his career haul to 62 from just 14 games, with regular spells out of the Australian team. His bowling average of 16.53 puts him among the most effective in the game's history. Speaking after his brilliant turn in Jamaica, Boland said he's comfortable knowing his role was to do a job when called upon behind some of the best fast bowlers the game has ever seen. 'I'm playing with three of the best fast bowlers Australia has ever had, so I'm happy to be in behind them,' Boland said. 'It's going to extend all of our careers if we can all stay on the park and keep bowling really well, so I'm happy with that. 'I know I'm not going to play every game, so I can be really specific with my training, and then when I get to a Test match I'm going to play, I'm ready to go.' Confirmation of the brilliance of the Australian bowling attack comes through in the rankings. What a team - Josh Hazlewood, Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, and Scott Boland with the Frank Worrell Trophy. Picture: Supplied It's the first time since 1958 a team has had six bowlers ranked in the world's top 10. Lyon dropped a spot after being omitted to allow Boland to play in Jamaica, while Starc remained in 10th spot despite his haul of 6-9 in the second innings in his 100th Test, which took him past 400 career wickets.
Perth Now
17-07-2025
- Sport
- Perth Now
Boland legend grows with new high
He only plays one Test at a time but Scott Boland has vaulted into the top 10 on the ICC rankings on the back of his West Indian hat-trick. Boland, who took 3-2 in the final Test in Jamaica after being overlooked for the first two, is now the sixth ranked bowler in the world, ahead of man-of-the series Mitch Starc, who is 10th. The entire first-choice Australian attack all sit comfortably in the top 10, with captain Pat Cummins at three, Josh Hazlewood at four and spin star Nathan Lyon, who was left out for Boland in the West Indies, at number eight. It's a staggering feat for Boland, who has resigned himself to being a horses-for-courses selection, behind Cummins, Hazlewood and Starc despite performing whenever called upon. The 36-year-old Victorian took three wickets in both innings of the final Test, a day-night affair at Sabina Park, taking his career haul to 62 from just 14 games, with regular spells out of the Australian team. His bowling average of 16.53 puts him among the most effective in the game's history. Speaking after his brilliant turn in Jamaica, Boland said he's comfortable knowing his role was to do a job when called upon behind some of the best fast bowlers the game has ever seen. 'I'm playing with three of the best fast bowlers Australia has ever had, so I'm happy to be in behind them,' Boland said. 'It's going to extend all of our careers if we can all stay on the park and keep bowling really well, so I'm happy with that. 'I know I'm not going to play every game, so I can be really specific with my training, and then when I get to a Test match I'm going to play, I'm ready to go.' Confirmation of the brilliance of the Australian bowling attack comes through in the rankings. What a team - Josh Hazlewood, Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, and Scott Boland with the Frank Worrell Trophy. Supplied Credit: Supplied It's the first time since 1958 a team has had six bowlers ranked in the world's top 10. Lyon dropped a spot after being omitted to allow Boland to play in Jamaica, while Starc remained in 10th spot despite his haul of 6-9 in the second innings in his 100th Test, which took him past 400 career wickets.
News.com.au
17-07-2025
- Sport
- News.com.au
Scott Boland jumps to sixth best bowler in world after West Indies hat-trick
He only plays one Test at a time but Scott Boland has vaulted into the top 10 on the ICC rankings on the back of his West Indian hat-trick. Boland, who took 3-2 in the final Test in Jamaica after being overlooked for the first two, is now the sixth ranked bowler in the world, ahead of man-of-the series Mitch Starc, who is 10th. The entire first-choice Australian attack all sit comfortably in the top 10, with captain Pat Cummins at three, Josh Hazlewood at four and spin star Nathan Lyon, who was left out for Boland in the West Indies, at number eight. It's a staggering feat for Boland, who has resigned himself to being a horses-for-courses selection, behind Cummins, Hazlewood and Starc despite performing whenever called upon. The 36-year-old Victorian took three wickets in both innings of the final Test, a day-night affair at Sabina Park, taking his career haul to 62 from just 14 games, with regular spells out of the Australian team. His bowling average of 16.53 puts him among the most effective in the game's history. Speaking after his brilliant turn in Jamaica, Boland said he's comfortable knowing his role was to do a job when called upon behind some of the best fast bowlers the game has ever seen. 'I'm playing with three of the best fast bowlers Australia has ever had, so I'm happy to be in behind them,' Boland said. 'It's going to extend all of our careers if we can all stay on the park and keep bowling really well, so I'm happy with that. 'I know I'm not going to play every game, so I can be really specific with my training, and then when I get to a Test match I'm going to play, I'm ready to go.' Confirmation of the brilliance of the Australian bowling attack comes through in the rankings. It's the first time since 1958 a team has had six bowlers ranked in the world's top 10. Lyon dropped a spot after being omitted to allow Boland to play in Jamaica, while Starc remained in 10th spot despite his haul of 6-9 in the second innings in his 100th Test, which took him past 400 career wickets.
7NEWS
16-07-2025
- Sport
- 7NEWS
Australia's amazing bowling line-up dominate top 10 Test rankings after West Indies rout
The Australian bowlers' destruction of West Indies in Kingston has resulted in five of their record-breaking attack now flourishing in the top 10 of the ICC's Test bowling rankings. Scott Boland's three wickets in each innings at Sabina Park, including a hat-trick as Australia sealed their whitewash three-Test triumph by, incredibly, bowling out the home side for 27, has ensured the veteran paceman moves up six places into a career-best sixth place in the rankings. The late-blooming 36-year-old, who never lets Australia down whenever he gets the chance with his 62 wickets at 16.53 apiece, has joined captain Pat Cummins (third), Josh Hazlewood (fourth), Nathan Lyon (eighth) and Mitchell Starc (10th) in a rare single-country domination of the bowling table. Boland's PB is quite staggering with respected sports reporter Harrison Reid noting that: 'The sixth best bowler in the world isn't in his own country's best four.' The ICC said you would have to go back to 1958 to find a similar domination of the table. A historical rating showed that England had half-a-dozen bowlers in the top 12 back in 1958, including the likes of Jim Laker, Tony Lock, Freddie Trueman and Brian Statham. Still, though, top of the current pile remains the uniquely brilliant Indian quick, Jasprit Bumrah, whose seven wickets during their defeat by England at Lord's this week enabled him to stay 50 points ahead of Australia's World Test final tormentor, South African Kagiso Rabada. Meanwhile, Joe Root's knocks of 104 and 40 in the enthralling third-Test win have ensured he goes back to the top of the batting rankings, a week after his fellow Yorkshire star Harry Brook had gone to No.1. It's the eighth time Root has taken top spot and, at 34, he's the oldest No.1 batter since Sri Lanka's Kumar Sangakkara was leading the way back in December 2014 at the age of 37. It's not looking so healthy for the Australian batters on the world stage, after some of their top-order struggles in the Caribbean, with only fourth-placed veteran Steve Smith in the top 10 with a ranking of 816 compared to Root's 888. Travis Head is the next best Aussie in 11th place on 740.
