How Boland sparked another Ashes nightmare for England

There were fears for Scott Boland after the opening day of the Ashes series.

The pre-series assertion of former England captain Michael Atherton that England did not fear him proved prophetic as they clattered him for 62 from 10 overs on a surface where 19 wickets fell in a day and Mitchell Starc took a career-best seven-wicket haul.

With Pat Cummins still a 50-50 proposition to play in Brisbane, as well as doubts over his ability to play in consecutive Tests, and fears over Josh Hazlewood's involvement in the series at all, their would have been genuine questions about where Australia's selectors could turn if Boland was Bazballed out of the series inside two days.

But all fears were quelled with a match-turning spell on day two, taking 3 for 3 in 11 deliveries including the prized scalps of Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope and Harry Brook, on his way to figures of 4 for 33 that silenced the doubters and restored his astounding home average to 13.47.

"I thought Scotty got his line and lengths and movement right today," Steven Smith said post-match on Saturday. "That's the Scotty Boland that we're used to. And he took some really key wickets."

There was a sense, which was backed up by Ben Stokes in the aftermath, that England had let Boland back into the series via timid batting that was the complete antithesis of what their approach stood for, and what had kept Boland under the thumb previously.

That may be true. But England hardly needed to whack Boland off his length on the opening day because he never found it.

Bowling for the first time at Perth Stadium, Boland had strayed way too full and straight in his first spell with the new ball. Duckett hadn't needed to charge at him. He merely stood still and drilled half-volley after half-volley down the ground. It was only later when the ball was softer, and had turned into a "hockey puck" according to Starc, that Brook charged at him to launch him over wide mid-off.

It could well have been nerves for Boland. He had admitted to a large media gathering in the build-up that he had been thinking about this series for two years, having ruminated on what happened in 2023 for a long time. Boland is an introvert. It is easy to see how he may have overthought the moment.

He also hadn't been bowling quite at his best in Sheffield Shield cricket in the lead-up. He did take five wickets in a victory over New South Wales, but that had come after he was clattered at a run-a-ball in his first couple of spells, with discarded Test opener Sam Konstas reverse ramping him for six and Ollie Davies thumping him repeatedly through cover. Boland admitted he had struggled for rhythm that day, explaining that he can occasionally get out of sync in his run-up which can then get in his head.

But like he did at the Junction Oval, he made the adjustment on the second day in Perth. England did try to unsettle him but Boland unsettled them.

His first ball of the second innings to Duckett reared from a length and thudded into his gloves. Duckett charged at the second and edged it along the ground to third slip. Duckett charged at the fifth at very nearly chopped on.

Against the last ball over Boland's second over, Duckett charged again and swung wildly with the thick edge flying safely over gully. Boland could claim a "moral victory".

A switch of ends brought more close calls but no wickets before lunch. Duckett charged again and got hit on the bottom glove by one that nipped and bounced at him. Pope played and missed trying to drive on the up. It would be the first of six such drives from Pope at Boland, all of which beat the edge.

England were hardly timid to him. Boland had adjusted his lengths and lines to ask them to hit more difficult deliveries. The pitch, the overheads, and potentially a better ball all helped to make that task a challenge.

Boland thought he had Duckett on the stroke of lunch, pinning him on the crease to see umpire Adrian Holdstock raise the finger. But Duckett was rightly reprieved by the DRS as it had pitched outside leg.

Boland was finally rewarded post lunch. Duckett was stunned when he nicked a ball that pitched well outside his leg stump and nipped across him. The floodgates opened.

Pope finally nicked one two overs later. Brook did not get six play and misses before he nicked his second ball attempting another booming drive on the up. The game swung wildly in the space of 11 balls. Boland returned to hero status in the eyes of the home fans.

"Scotty started getting one of his rolls again," Jake Weatherald said on Sunday. "[He] obviously gets it right very often in first-class cricket, and he got it right in that second innings for sure. And he understood what he need to do. He bowled more of a back of a length and a bit wider and really challenged their ability to drive the ball and make good decisions outside off stump."

England might blame themselves for letting Boland into the series, but take nothing away from a spell that added to his extraordinary record on home soil.