Scott Boland’s road to ‘fairytale’ in the baggy green
Australia retained the Ashes on just the 12th day of the series, bowling England out for 68 on day three of the Boxing Day Test.
Debutant Scott Boland was the story of the third morning, finishing with 6-7 from four overs.
He’s only the fourth Indigenous Australian Test cricketer, and his road to the Baggy Green is one of determination and hard work.
Boland started playing for Frankston-Peninsula as a 17-year-old, and was sent back to the seconds for almost his entire first season at Frankston-Peninsula.
Vice President of the Frankston Peninsula Cricket Club, Dennis Prendergast, says he needed work.
“The coaching panel … they suggested that he needed to do a bit more work on his game and get his body in better shape,” he told Seb Costello, filling in for Tom Elliott.
“There’s not too may players that would accept that, but Scott did.”
Boland got a running coach and consulted with a dietician, and his performance improved rapidly.
“Within a couple of years he’d got a rookie contract with Victoria and then a couple of years later hew got a full contract,” Mr Prendergast said.
“When you talk to young groups of sportsmen and women you use the cliches of hard work and dedication and looking after your body, but here is an example of exactly that.
“There’s not too many young people today who would persist, and persist, and persist to the ultimate goal and get that baggy green on their head.”
Press PLAY below to hear more about Boland’s rise
National Selector, Tony Dodemaide, says Boland “took the stairs not the elevator”.
“What a fairytale for Scott,” he told Seb Costello.
Press PLAY below to hear Mr Dodemaide’s thoughts on Boland’s journey
Image: Daniel Pockett – CA/Cricket Australia via Getty Images