Sam Konstas’ ordinary Sheffield Shield run continued as Scott Boland snared him with the fourth ball of the New South Wales innings.
Boland, Australia’s fourth-choice fast bowler in Test cricket, will almost certainly play in the first Ashes Test if Pat Cummins indeed does not recover in time. There has been buzz around Boland of late, and all eyes were on him in the marquee Sheffield Shield clash between Victoria and NSW at Melbourne.
Focus was on Konstas as well. He failed in Australia’s last Test series, in the West Indies, across three Tests that did not feature a single individual fifty. Then, touring India with Australia A, he made a hundred in the first unofficial “Test”, and returned with 188 runs at 62.67.
However, he had a torrid time in his first Sheffield Shield game, against Western Australia at Perth: he made 4 and 14. With several contenders for Usman Khawaja’s opening partner’s spot in the Ashes, he had to find runs in domestic cricket.
In the match, Liam Hatcher (5-88) and Jack Edwards (3-44) bowled out Victoria after Edwards won the toss and elected to field. During the Victoria innings, Charlie Stobo became the Sheffield Shield’s first like-for-like injury substitute after Sean Abbott split the webbing of his bowling hand.
Boland began with good-length ball on off stump, making it move away. Konstas shouldered arms, letting it go harmlessly. The next two were pitched roughly on the same spot, and Konstas let these go as well.
Boland then moved the fourth ball in to hit Konstas’ pad, appealed, and got the decision in his favour.
Fergus O’Neill then struck twice at the other end. At the time of writing, NSW were 39-3 with Matthew Gilkes (8) and Ryan Hadley (0) at the crease.
