Scott Boland

Scott Michael Boland (born 11 April 1989) is an Australian international cricketer.

A right-arm fast-medium bowler, he also plays domestically for Victoria and the Melbourne Stars.

He fared much better in second grade, however, getting 37 wickets in the 2008/09 season, at an average of 18.60.

His next season proved more fruitful, where he played 20 matches for first grade, taking 27 wickets at an average of 27.

Another consistent season with Frankston-Peninsula saw Boland take 33 wickets at an average of 25.3 in the 2010/11 season, earning him a rookie state level contract with the Victorian team.

Despite a strong start to the 2011/2012 season with Frankston-Peninsula, Boland wasn't called up to debut until Victoria's fourth Sheffield Shield game of the season, coming up against Western Australia, on 11 November 2011.

In this game, he bowled 25 overs, taking a total of 2/92 across the two innings.

Despite this modest return, he would play the next game, taking 4/87 for the match.

He went on to make another appearance in the Sheffield Shield this season against South Australia, taking 3/89, finishing the season with 9 wickets at an average of 29.77.

In the 2012/13 season, Boland was not a regular member of the Sheffield Shield or Ryobi Cup squad, playing in seven of Victoria's games across both formats.

In the Sheffield Shield, he took a total of 6 wickets across 5 innings, at an average of 41.83.

His best figures this season came against South Australia at Adelaide Oval, where he took 3/30 in the fourth innings.

These efforts were in vain, however, as South Australia went on to win by just 1 wicket.

Boland fared better in the Ryobi Cup, finishing with he took 9 wickets at 27.11 for the tournament, and career best List A figures of 5/63, in another close loss against South Australia.

The 2013/14 season was much more productive for Boland, as he enjoyed an extended stay in Victoria's teams for both the Sheffield Shield and Ryobi Cup tournaments.

Boland played 9 matches in the Shield this season, taking 19 wickets at an average of 37.73.

He also took figures of 5/84 in loss against South Australia.

It was in this season that Boland compiled his highest score in professional cricket, coming in as a nightwatchman for Victoria and scoring 51 off 212 deliveries.

The 2013/14 Ryobi Cup was somewhat of a breakthrough for Boland, he played 6 matches, taking 9 wickets at 33.33, and was Victoria's leading fast bowler during the tournament.

His best figures of 3/42 came against New South Wales, his economical bowling crucial in restricting their total in a tight win.

The following season in 2014/15, Boland's performances were again consistent, and he was now a mainstay in the Victorian attack.

He played every match of Victoria's Matador Cup campaign, claiming 9 wickets across the season at an average of 35.22, including defending 8 runs from the final over against New South Wales to win the game for the Victorian side.

In the Sheffield Shield he played 8 games, including the final, taking 25 wickets at 30.12 along the way.

His performances this season helped Victoria win their first Sheffield Shield title in 4 seasons.

Amongst these performances was his first five-wicket haul in first-class cricket, taking 6/49.

The 2015/16 season was a breakout season for Boland at both state and international level.

Boland took a career-best 7/31 against Western Australia that got the attention of the national selectors, and he was added to the standby list for Australia's Test against the West Indies in Hobart.

His performances across formats were strong, leading to an eventual selection to play for Australia against India in their tour of Australia in January 2016.

At the end of the domestic season, he was awarded the Bill Lawry Medal as Victoria's best Sheffield Shield player, collecting 33 wickets at 20.93 on way to helping Victoria win another Sheffield Shield title.

Boland took 7 wickets at 37.28 in the Matador Cup competition, another consistent season in the competition.

The 2017/18 season was another consistent season for Boland, as he claimed 38 wickets at 26.92 to finish the season as the 3rd highest wicket-taker, his best figures of 4/41 coming against South Australia, taking 8/129 for the match.

In March 2019, he was named the Sheffield Shield Player of the Year by Cricket Australia.

Boland is one of a handful of Indigenous Australians to be selected to play for Australia at international level and, as of December 2021, is only the second male Aboriginal player to have played Test cricket for Australia, after Jason Gillespie.

Boland was a member of the Australian team that won the 2023 ICC World Test Championship final.

Boland was born in Mordialloc, Melbourne, Victoria, and attended St John Vianney's Primary School, Parkdale and St Bede's College, Mentone.

Starting his career with Parkdale Cricket Club, Boland first played a competitive game for the club aged six, in the under-12's competition.

He then rose through the ranks of Parkdale Cricket Club, before joining Victorian Premier Cricket club Frankston Peninsula at age 16, to further his cricketing development.

Upon leaving Parkdale, Boland had played 41 matches in total for the club, taking 31 wickets at an average of 12.35.

It was moving to Frankston that prompted Boland to work more on his bowling, at the behest of then coach Nick Jewell.

After moving, Boland's first two seasons were less productive, only playing six matches in first grade, with just three wickets.