Despite seeing so little play,the crowd of about 40,945 got their money’s worth,watching Boland have a day he will never forget.
The Victorian seamer,a shock selection for the game,claimed four wickets from just 11 balls during one scintillating burst,including the prized wicket of England captain Joe Root,who was caught at first slip. It was the sixth time in as many innings this series he has fallen to a nick behind the stumps.
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When he pouched a sharp return catch from Mark Wood for his fifth wicket,an almost sheepish Boland barely raised the ball to a rapturous crowd in acknowledgment of his milestone.
His maiden bag of five came off just 19 balls,equalling the record of the fastest to reach this milestone set by Australia seamer Ernie Toshack in 1947/48 and matched by Stuart Broad in the infamous Trent Bridge Test (for Australia) when Michael Clarke’s side was steamrolled for just 60.
Boland came tantalisingly close to making it six in 20 by beating Ollie Robinson’s bat first up,but found his outside edge the next ball.
His haul finished off the strong work of veteran Mitchell Starc,who added the big wicket of Ben Stokes to the two he claimed late on the second day.
England’s hero at Headingley two years ago was not given a chance to reprise those feats after Starc nibbled one off the seam through a gaping hole between his bat and pad,drawing praise fromthe paceman’s strongest critic,Shane Warne.
“Super stuff from Mitchell Starc ... straight through the gate,that’s an absolute ripper,that’s a rip-snorter from Mitchell Starc,top of middle stump,” Warne said.
So well did Australia’s quicks perform,spinner Nathan Lyon was not required at all in England’s second innings.