Scott Boland has continued his incredible summer with a six-wicket haul to bowl Victoria to a 353-run win over Western Australia and into the Sheffield Shield final.
The Vics are now on 50.76 points, well clear of second-placed Queensland (34.38) with two matches to play this season, and have now booked themselves a place in the decider in Melbourne starting on March 26.
The 36-year-old Boland tore the heart out of the home side’s top order at the WACA on Thursday, taking the first five wickets to fall and then the final scalp to finish with 6-22 off 11.5 metronomic overs.
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He claimed 20 wickets in five Tests for Australia during the recent Ashes series and now has 22 for Victoria in his four Shield performances.
WA started the final day 2-26 but were dismissed for 114 in 44.5 overs.
Boland had picked up the two wickets to fall the previous afternoon and settled straight away into the perfect line and length.
He had left-hander Sam Whiteman trapped in front with the third ball of the morning.
Former Test opener Cameron Bancroft (12) didn’t do much wrong when he was well caught by wicketkeeper Sam Harper.
It was one of those perfect Boland deliveries that drew Bancroft forward and moved a fraction away off the seam.
The dismissal of Teague Wyllie was a carbon copy of Bancroft’s demise and Boland had five.
WA wicketkeeper Joel Curtis (59) was the only batter for the hosts to offer any resistance and was the last wicket to fall to the irrepressible Boland.
The Test star finished with eight dismissals for the match after claiming 2-27 in the first innings.
Victoria keeper Harper was named man of the match for his brilliant all-round display with the gloves and bat. He took six catches for the match and made 119 and an unbeaten 141 while opening the innings.
The thrashing continued a dire season for Western Australia who are firmly entrenched in last position on the ladder.
The Vics will play Tasmania (away) and South Australia (home) in their final two games of the regular season to warm up for the final.
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