Brilliant Boland breaking new ground in tight Jamaican tussle
Australian fast bowler Scott Boland cements spot atop Test stat list with pink-ball hat-trick.
By Daniel Beswick
The dream career run for Scott Boland has continued in Jamaica, with the Australian fast bowler setting new standards for modern day fast bowlers after another stellar effort with ball in hand.
With his 3/34 and 3/2 at Sabina Park in Australia's Test victory against the West Indies, Boland's Test bowling average now stands at 16.53, the best of any bowler in the last 110 years of Test cricket (minimum 2000 balls bowled).
Only England's Syd Barnes stands above Boland for bowlers since 1900, with the other six bowlers above Boland all hailing from the 1800s, and in the infancy of Test cricket.
Best Test Bowling Average of players active since 1915 (min. 2000 balls bowled)
| Bowler | Career Span | Test career |
| Scott Boland | 2021-Present | 62 wkts at 16.53 |
| Bert Ironmonger | 1928-1933 | 74 wkts at 17.97 |
| Frank Tyson | 1954-1959 | 76 wkts at 18.56 |
| Ajaz Patel | 2021-Present | 55 wkts at 19.34 |
| Jasprit Bumrah | 2018-Present | 217 wkts at 19.48 |
Australia's pace attack were irrepressible in Kingston, needing just 66.4 overs to take 20 wickets to seal a 176-run win.
It was Mitchell Starc in his 100th Test match who looked to take all the headlines after Australia set the West Indies 204 to win, though Boland again underlined his qualities, claiming a hat-trick to leave the hosts reeling at 26/9.
An Alzarri Joseph single ensured his side were not consigned to the equal-lowest Test total of all time, though Starc ensured an early mark for the Aussie bowlers, beating the defences of Jayden Seales.
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