Scott Boland deserves another crack at Test cricket in Friday’s second Test against India but his time in the international arena should be coming to an end given that Australia need to regenerate their team ASAP.
Boland is 35 and even though he has been a more than handy back-up player to the big three of Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc in recent years, it is unlikely he will add too many more matches to the 10 Tests since his barnstorming unexpected debut at the MCG a little less than three years ago.
He will surely get the nod ahead of late inclusions Sean Abbott and Brendan Doggett for the clash with India and unless he bowls poorly, which hardly ever happens, the next match at the Gabba as well.
Boland is destined to end up as one of the better bowlers in Australian cricket history whose career tallied up to 20 Tests or less.
There have been many players since 1877 whose careers have been brief due to global conflicts, World Series Cricket, unfortunate injuries, not being given a fair go by selectors or they have been stuck behind all-time greats, with Boland certainly falling into the latter category.
The All-Time 20 Tests or Less XI
When it comes to batting talent, there have been ample Aussie Test cricketers who meet this criteria.
It’s hard to go past Charles Bannerman as an opener given that he set a percentage record for a team total in the first ever Test with his 165 in Australia’s 245, a benchmark which still stands.
He only played two other Tests in the early days when the matches didn’t even go by that name but his average of 59.75 and the nostalgia that comes with his iconic knock earns him a spot.
Another player you’d love to have opening is Jack Fingleton, who represented Australia 18 times while scoring 1189 runs at 42.46. He might have played a few more if not for his tempestuous relationship with Sir Donald Bradman and the advent of World War II when he was 31.
Sid Barnes’ career was also interrupted by the war with the stylish batter wearing the baggy green cap just 13 times from 1938-48 but in that time he managed 1072 runs at 63.05, including three tons, highlighted by his memorable 234 in what is still a world record partnership for the fifth wicket of 405 with Bradman against England in 1946-47.
After suffering an injury while fielding in the 1948 Ashes tour he took an extended break from the game for two years and became a newspaper columnist before returning to first-class cricket but never again playing in the Test team.
Jack Ryder is another Australian pioneer who fits the bill for 20 Tests or less.
In his 20 appearances, including five as captain, he racked up three centuries in his 1394 runs at 51.62. He was close to Test selection when World War I broke out and did not make his debut until 1920 at the age of 31.
Adam Voges had one of the most unusual, brief and late Test careers of any Australian players – making his debut at 35 in 2015, he enjoyed a purple patch from the get-go with a ton on debut against the West Indies followed by an unbeaten 269 and 106 in the return series in Australia and another double ton in New Zealand.
His form tailed off and after a serious concussion, he retired with 1485 runs at an average of 61.87, which is second only to Bradman in the history of cricket for players with at least 20 matches.
Adam Voges with Justin Langer. (Photo by Paul Kane/Getty Images)
Rounding out the top six is Herbie Collins, who also had his Test delayed in similar fashion and made his debut in the same Ashes match in Sydney as Ryder, a year older.
Collins lived a colourful life as a bookmaker during his playing career, well before the scourge of match-fixing became an issue in international cricket, and averaged 45.06 from his career tally of 1352 with four tons, including 203 in Johannesburg against South Africa in 1921.
Honourable mentions as potential batting candidates are Brad Hodge (503 runs at 55.9 in six Tests), Ross Edwards (1171 at 30.4 in 20), Peter Handscomb (1079 at 37.2 in 20), Billy Murdoch (908 at 31.31 in 19 in the late 1800s when wickets were uncovered) and Gary Gilmour as an all-rounder option (483 runs at 23 and 54 wickets at 26 in 15).
When it comes to a wicketkeepers, Peter Nevill may be a surprise choice to some ahead of Barry Jarman (19) and Brian Taber (16).
Nevill was a superior gloveman to any of the other options to replace Brad Haddin after his retirement and he averaged a decent 22.28 with three half-centuries in his 17 Tests.
But he was dropped in part because he was not a vocal leader in the field with a better run-scorer but inferior keeper in Matthew Wade getting the nod ahead of him after the Hobart shellacking at the hands of South Africa in 2016.
Now for the bowling attack, the first name inked in is the one and only Fred Spofforth.
“The Demon” had the true fast bowler’s mentality of hating batters and he snared 94 wickets in just 18 Tests at 18.41 in his decade-long career which started way back in 1877.
Sharing the new ball with him will be Andy Bichel, who would have played many matches than 19 if not for the prime of his career coinciding with Glenn McGrath, Jason Gillespie and Brett Lee being at the peak of their powers.
The Queenslander bagged 58 wickets at 32.24 in a stop-start seven-year stint in the baggy green in which he was 12th man in another 19 matches.
Charlie Turner was another pioneer of the Australian team who only got to play 17 Tests due to the scarcity of matches from 1887-95 when he took 101 wickets at 16.53 with his medium-pacers.
The spinner’s spot goes to a Bradman contemporary in Bert Ironmonger.
Making his debut in Brisbane alongside The Don in 1928, despite being 16 years older than the batting prodigy, Ironmonger appeared 14 times in the baggy green over the course of the next five years.
“Dainty” was a mystery spinner in that he managed to get turn despite having an amputated index finger on his left hand from a childhood accident. He was often overlooked for selection behind Bill O’Reilly and Clarrie Grimmett, he claimed 74 wickets at 17.97, playing his final Test at the ripe old age of 50.
When it comes to 12th Man for the 20 Tests or Less, Colin Miller is a versatile option in reserve with his seamers and off-spinners which yielded 69 wickets in 18 matches at 26.15.
Other bowling options who would not look out of place in the line-up are 1970s firebrand Len Pascoe (64 wickets at 26.1 in 14 Tests), The Roar’s own Damien Fleming (75 at 25.9 in 20), Tim Wall (56 at 35.9 in 18) and left-arm spinner Chuck Fleetwood Smith (42 in 10 at 37.4).
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