Boland’s 4-31 Leaves South Africa 97-5 on a Rain-Hit Day Two
Scott Boland is making a habit of this. Drafted into Australia’s side as the only change for the second Test in Gqeberha — in place of Nathan Lyon in an all-pace attack — the 37-year-old seamer tore through South Africa’s top order to claim 4-31 and leave the hosts reeling at 97-5 at stumps on a rain-ravaged day two at St George’s Park.
Boland struck twice in consecutive balls on the opening day, removing Aiden Markram and David Bedingham, and returned after a long weather delay to add Marques Ackerman and Ryan Rickelton. His four victims all fell to the same relentless formula: unerring line and length around the top of off stump, asking questions the batters could not answer. Mitchell Starc chipped in by removing Matthew Breetzke as South Africa collapsed to 40-4 before Temba Bavuma’s resistance. Cricinfo match report: Bavuma and Jansen lead South Africa’s fightback.
Heavy overnight showers and a wet outfield meant only 30.2 overs were possible across the first two days, with play on day two delayed by five hours. But Scott Boland needed no long spell to make his mark — his figures of 4-31 came from 21 overs of nagging accuracy, and South Africa’s batting coach could only admire the damage.
Renshaw’s Screamer and the Philander Comparison
The wicket that sealed Scott Boland’s fourth was also the catch of the series so far. Ryan Rickelton, on 31, edged Boland low to first slip, where Matt Renshaw — himself the hero of Australia’s first-Test win with 190 and 82 in Durban — flung himself to his right to take a stunning one-handed screamer. Renshaw was left in disbelief as teammates swarmed him, and former Australia batter Simon Katich called it “one of the best slips catches you will ever see” on commentary.
South Africa batting coach Ashwell Prince reached for a famous comparison when assessing the damage Scott Boland had inflicted. “Scott reminds me a little bit of someone like Vernon Philander,” Prince said. “He doesn’t miss his spot often. His balls are always on or around the top of the stumps, so there’s always that uncertainty for batters.”
Boland himself kept it simple: “I’m just trying to put the pressure on the batter as much as I can.” It is working. Before this Test he had 82 wickets in 19 Tests at an average of about 18.6, including a player-of-the-match 10-76 against India in Sydney in January 2025. Every time the selectors need a fourth seamer, Scott Boland answers.
Bavuma and Jansen Lead the Day-Three Fightback
Just when Australia looked ready to run through the tail, South Africa’s captain and its most exciting all-rounder changed the story. Resuming on an extended day three, Temba Bavuma (41 not out overnight) and Marco Jansen produced a sparkling counterattack that dragged the hosts to 231-6, shifting momentum for the first time in the match.
Bavuma was superb — his half-century came from 140 balls of pristine construction, including a gorgeous on-drive off Pat Cummins and a hooked six that briefly stopped traffic outside the ground. But it was Jansen who electrified St George’s Park, smashing three fours in a Starc over, launching Scott Boland straight down the ground for six, and hooking Cummins deep over square leg as Australia began to feel the absence of the ill Josh Hazlewood.
Jansen survived a caught-behind review on 58 — DRS showed he had clipped his back pad — and marched to 75 not out, with Bavuma unbeaten on 87. For the first time in the game, as Cricinfo noted, Australia were losing control of the scoring rate. The 97-5 nightmare was becoming a genuine contest.
Hazlewood’s Illness and Australia’s Selection Gamble
Context matters in judging Scott Boland’s performance: he was not even supposed to be the story of this Test. Josh Hazlewood, who took 6-49 in the final innings at Durban, spent day two confined to the team hotel with a stomach issue, leaving Australia a bowler short. Beau Webster’s medium pace filled the gap, and Hazlewood was expected to return on day three — though under the rules he could not bowl until 30.4 overs had elapsed in South Africa’s innings.
That made Pat Cummins’ big selection call look inspired. Dropping Nathan Lyon — a certain future Hall of Famer — for an all-pace attack was a gamble; Scott Boland’s 4-31 turned it into a masterstroke. “I want to play every Test,” Boland said afterwards, sending the clearest possible message to the selectors about his place in a champion attack. Fox Sports: Boland strikes as Australia dominate day two in Gqeberha.
There was a personal milestone amid the carnage too: Starc’s dismissal of Wiaan Mulder — given out on review after the mandatory concussion check — was the left-armer’s 450th Test wicket.
Series Context: Australia Eye History in South Africa
The bigger picture makes every session of this Test matter. Australia lead the three-Test series 1-0 after their 214-run victory in Durban last week, built on Renshaw’s career-best 190. A win at St George’s Park would wrap up the series with a game to spare — and make Australia the first visiting team to triumph in a Test series in South Africa since England in 2019-20.
South Africa, though, have shown in this fightback that they will not hand it over. If Bavuma and Jansen can push the total toward 300, the pressure swings back onto Australia’s batters on a wearing pitch. The third Test begins at Newlands in Cape Town on 27 October, but this series could be decided long before then.
Whatever happens next, Scott Boland has once again underlined his remarkable value: the quiet Victorian who only plays when someone else is unavailable, and who keeps producing spells that win Test matches. South Africa found that out at 97-5 — and Australia’s selectors keep finding it out every time they pick him.
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