Cricket news 2024: Why famous father missed son’s record breaking haul
Sam Elliott arrived for Victoria on Monday delivering a record-breaking spell, but his former Test opener dad wasn’t there to see it, luckily when he did get to the ground, Sam’s heroics were far from over.
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Matthew Elliott missed most of the fun.
The former Test opener was in meetings on Monday morning and couldn’t make it to Junction Oval until the afternoon of Victoria’s one-day cup clash with Tasmania.
By the time the elegant left-hander arrived with oldest son Zak and youngest son Will, his middle boy had made history.
They were the best ever figures for a Victoria in more than half a century of men’s domestic one-day cricket, eclipsing Jon Holland’s 6-29 against South Australia in February 2012.
“They might have to stay away for the rest of the year, I think,” Sam said post-play of his family’s absence.
But Elliott snr wasn’t denied completely.
Having routed Tassie for 126 in 30.1 overs on a green wicket after winning the toss and bowling, Victoria was in danger at 6-72 before Elliott - by this time point being watched on by his dad and brothers - combined with captain Will Sutherland in an unbeaten 56-run stand to steer the hosts to victory with more than 23 overs to spare.
Elliott, 24, finished 19 not out, with Sutherland making 36 not out.
Sam Harper’s 43 at the top of the order for Victoria was the highest score on either side, while Tassie all-rounder Beau Webster picked up 3-20.
Elliott claimed 13 scalps across seven state one-dayers last season, but said he had never had a day like this at any level of cricket.
“(They are my) best figures ever. It was a pretty nice day to do it – first one-day cup game of the year,” he said.
“I don’t know how to describe it. It was just one of those days when everything sort of clicked, it felt very good. It’s been my role last year, coming on through the middle and try to take wickets. Just excited it all came together today.
“I just feel like the coaches backed me in last year and just having that consistency knowing my game can hold up at this level. Now just trying to thrive at this level and just push to be one of our main strike bowlers through the middle. Just really good to get some continuity in my game.”
While conditions and poor shot selection from Tasmania’s batters helped, Elliott revealed that a technical tweak had helped reap Monday’s dividends.
“I actually changed something at the start of the game with my wrist. It was a bit inconsistent but it felt like the good balls were really good. I think the most exciting thing is I can probably go back to training and work on a few things consistency wise. It’s good it paid off in the moment.
“Just coming down the side of the ball a little bit, so just tried to come down the back of it a bit more. It might not seem like a big change but it definitely felt different coming out of the hand.
“It was just one of those things that I felt like the energy wasn’t quite right behind it, so I decided today to try it.
“I just couldn’t believe it. It felt like a bit of a blur then all the boys coming in and getting around me. It just sort of happened.”
Elliott also said he had tinkered with his run-up during the off-season in a bid to generate greater pace, a move pushed by Victorian bowling coach Adam Griffith.
“I’ve actually changed my speed from, I think it was like 21.5km/h or something like that, to 24.5km/h. So might not seem like a big jump, but my body was certainly feeling it at the first couple of sessions that we did. I think that’s probably the major thing that we’ve been working on all preseason has that led to a ball speed increase. I mean, I think so. But again, like today was coming into the wind, so just had to try and push through it and hold my body up when I got to the crease.”
Boland to return via second XI amid knee concern
Scott Boland has been ruled out of Victoria’s first Sheffield Shield match as manages a lingering knee issue ahead of a Test summer in which he remains part of Australia’s pace plans.
Boland, 35, has instead been earmarked to play for the Vics’ second XI against Queensland beginning on October 14 at Junction Oval in what would be his first match in six months after his county stint with Durham ended prematurely with plantar fasciitis.
The paceman is building back towards full fitness but sported bandaging around his left knee while training at the Junction nets on Monday while his Victorian teammates beat Tasmania in their one-day cup opener.
He could however play against a stacked NSW team at the MCG during the second Shield round from October 20 to 23, a month ahead of the first Test against India in Perth.
The veteran quick hasn’t played a Test since Australia’s narrow defeat to England last July at Headingley.
He remained the clear fourth-seed behind Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood through seven Tests last season but a combination of early finishes and good injury runs from the big three consigned Boland to running the drinks.
However with fellow centrally contracted quicks Xavier Bartlett, Lance Morris and Jhye Richardson either injured or only just back from injury, Boland shapes as an important pace option for Aussie selectors George Bailey, Tony Dodemaide and Andrew McDonald in the bid to win back the Border-Gavaskar Trophy after India claimed the last four BGT series, all by a 2-1 scoreline.
Boland was a central part of Australia’s win over India in last year’s World Test Championship final at The Oval, taking 5-105 including the key scalp of Virat Kohli in the run chase.
The match between the Vics and NSW is likely to feature most if not all of Australia’s first-choice Test attack - including Nathan Lyon - while Glenn Maxwell is in the frame to play for Victoria.
Boland told this masthead last month that he had been keen to play three or four red-ball matches before the first Test begins on November 22.
“Probably a bit more than what I’ve done in the past,” Boland said.
“I’ve always been someone who’s always wanted to bowl a lot. And every time I’m playing Victoria, I’m bowling 40-50, overs. So yeah, I just want to get back, not that I haven’t trusted my body, but just to make sure that if I’m put into the Test arena where every ball is 110 per cent for me, that I’m ready to go to get through that game.”
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