Boland the best in 100 years, but remains unlucky man

Scott Boland could lay claim to being Australia's unluckiest ever cricketer, after adding a Test hat-trick to a magical late-career surge since his famous 2021 Boxing Day debut. Statistically the best Test bowler in more than 100 years, Boland became just the 10th Australian man to take a hat-trick on Monday (Tuesday AEST) in Jamaica. His haul came on a record-breaking day for the tourists, who bowled West Indies out for just 27 to wrap up a 176-run win and 3-0 sweep of the Frank Worrell Trophy. Starc was the chief destroyer with 6-9 up front, but Boland again vindicated the selectors' call to go with four quicks and leave out a fit Nathan Lyon for the first time in 12 years. Boland's inclusion also allowed him to join Glenn McGrath as the only paceman to play for Australia after his 36th birthday in the last 60 years. In Australia's 39 Tests since his 2021 debut, Boland has played just 14 of them for a hat-trick, 6-7 on debut in 2021 and 10-wicket match haul in Sydney last summer. All of it prompting Starc to label the seamer one of the unluckiest men to ever wear the Baggy Green. "He would have played so many more Test matches in another team," Starc said. "But every time he comes in he is on the money, like we saw this week. He is never far from the perfect length. "He is preparing all the time to play, and this week he got his opportunity and showed what a wonderful Test bowler he is." When Boland's next Test will come remains unclear. Selectors have repeatedly shown that Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins maintain top billing in Australia's squad, with Boland only picked ahead of any of them once. The final three Tests of this summer's Ashes will be played over a 23-day window, potentially opening door for the Victorian to come in if one of the big three are rested. Otherwise he could be forced to wait again, despite having the seventh-best bowling average in Test history with 16.53, and the best of any bowler in the past 100 years. Boland has been close to hat-tricks before, but nailed his execution in Kingston when he took the top of Jomel Warrican's off stump. He had previously discarded Justin Greaves and Shamar Joseph, edging the former off before having Joseph trapped lbw on review. "Today was three classic Scotty Boland wickets," Cummins said. "Three right at the stumps or not far away. Really happy for him. "He has spent a lot of time running the drinks in the past year or two when the other guys are fit, but he is always quality when he comes in." LIST OF TEST HAT-TRICKS BY AUSTRALIANS: * Fred Spofforth v England, Melbourne 1878-79 * Hugh Trumble v England, Melbourne 1901-02 * Hugh Trumble v England, Melbourne 1903-04 * Jimmy Matthews v South Africa, Manchester 1912 (1st innings) * Jimmy Matthews v South Africa, Manchester 1912 (2nd innings) * Lindsay Kline v South Africa, Cape Town 1957-58 * Merv Hughes v West Indies, Perth 1988-89 * Damien Fleming v Pakistan, Rawalpindi 1994-95 * Shane Warne v England, Melbourne 1994-95 * Glenn McGrath v West Indies, Perth 2000-01 * Peter Siddle v England, Brisbane 2010-11 * Scott Boland v West Indies, Kingston 2025

Boland the best in 100 years, but remains unlucky man

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