Poor weather and flat pitches meant all nine matches during this week’s second round of County Championship action in the United Kingdom ended as a draw.
It was a largely eventful four days for the eight Australians currently competing in the red-ball tournament, while Scott Boland’s maiden campaign for Durham has been derailed by a foot injury.
As reported by News Corp, the Victorian quick has been sent for scans after bowling just 13 overs during Durham’s high-scoring contest against Warwickshire at Edgbaston.
“Scott Boland is okay. He has a bit of a niggle in his ankle or calf, I think, but the way the scoreboard was, it was sensible for him to go off and get some treatment on it,” Borthwick told The Cricketer.
“There was no point in taking risks on him this time of year, especially with the situation of the game. We’ll just monitor it.”
Cricket Australia might consider wrapping Boland in cotton wool ahead of next summer’s Border-Gavaskar Trophy campaign, where he’s expected to serve as the Test side’s reserve quick. Fellow Australian cricketers Nathan Lyon, Aaron Hardie and Xavier Bartlett recently had their county stints cut short or abandoned altogether due to workload management enforced by CA.
Boland, who celebrated his 35th birthday last week, claimed 0-54 in the first innings as Warwickshire posted 3-698 declared.
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Lyon, who only bowled two overs during Lancashire’s season opener against Surrey, toiled away for more than 65 overs in Southampton this week, taking 5-157 against Hampshire at the Rose Bowl.
The veteran off-spinner, who will only play seven County Championship matches for Lancashire this season, dismissed former Sydney Sixers teammate James Vince in both innings.
Elsewhere, Somerset’s Matthew Renshaw fell 13 runs short of a century against Surrey at The Oval after the Queenslander was barbecued by teammate Tom Lammonby. The No. 3 batter was on 99 when he pushed towards mid-off and sprinted through for a dubious single, with Jordan Clark’s direct hit at the striker’s end finding a diving Renshaw short of making his ground.
Renshaw’s departure sparked a horror collapse of 9-89, with Somerset bowled out for 285 after cruising towards 1-196 on day one of the drawn contest.
Leicestershire’s Peter Handscomb and Gloucestershire’s Cameron Bancroft each notched fifties, while Victorian opener Marcus Harris was dismissed in the twenties in both innings against Sussex at Grace Road.
NSW Blues seamer Chris Tremain went wicketless during Northamptonshire’s high-scoring match against Middlesex, while Kent paceman Wes Agar claimed three scalps against Essex in Chelsford.