‘He can have it’: Boland’s selfless moment after rare Test hat-trick

Kingston: Moments after Scott Boland walked off Sabina Park as the 10th Australian to take a Test hat-trick, he checked his phone.

There was a message from fellow Victorian quick Peter Siddle — the last Australian to claim a Test hat-trick, 15 years ago at the Gabba on the opening day of the 2010-11 Ashes.

“Welcome to the club,” the text read.

“It’s really nice,” Boland said of the message, not long after his treble helped bowl the West Indies out for 27.

It has been a surreal few days for the 36-year-old. Four days ago, Boland thought he’d be running the drinks for a third consecutive Test in the Caribbean.

There was speculation he might have been brought in for the second Test to give Josh Hazlewood a rest, but given Australia wrapped up the first Test early in Barbados, Boland had to wait.

At every session on this tour, Boland has trained as though he were playing.

Australia’s Scott Boland celebrates after taking the wicket of West Indies’ Jomel Warrican to complete a hat-trick. Credit: AP

Then came the shock call to drop Nathan Lyon — Australia’s most successful off-spinner — in favour of a four-man pace attack tailored for a pink Dukes ball and the bowler-friendly conditions.

Boland admits he felt pressure to deliver in Lyon’s absence. His match figures of 6-36 told the story.

“It’s a pretty brave call to leave out a spinner and go to four quicks, especially when the spinner is Nathan,” Boland said. “Hopefully, I repaid them.”

A Test hat-trick would be a career highlight for almost any bowler. Only two other Australians have done it this century: Glenn McGrath in 2000 and Siddle in 2010.

But Boland is no stranger to astonishing feats. His 6-7 on debut in the 2021 Boxing Day Test at the MCG remains etched in cricket folklore.

So, how did Monday’s hat-trick compare to those heroics in front of a raucous Melbourne crowd?

“Well, you can’t go past a debut game,” Boland said with a laugh. “Especially being at home with the support of the crowd.

Scott Boland is mobbed by team-mates after his hat-trick.Credit: AP

Much like at the MCG, Boland played the supporting role to perfection. He is like Stuart MacGill was to Shane Warne in the leg-spin bowling department — world-class, yet often waiting in the wings.

Not that he minds.

“I’m playing with three of the best fast bowlers Australia’s ever had, so I’m happy to be in behind them,” Boland said.

One of cricket’s great traditions is for a bowler to keep the ball after a major milestone, as is often the case with a hat-trick.

An amusing moment presented itself after stumps following Boland’s magnificent hat-trick.

Mitchell Starc had snared a triple-wicket maiden, taken 6-9, and joined the 400-wicket club in his 100th Test.

So, who got to keep the ball?

“There was talk of cutting it in half,” Boland said with a smile. “100 Tests and 400 wickets. He can have it.”