You love a cookie, a piece of cake, or ice cream and just can’t get enough of it. It’s your guilty pleasure—delicious in the moment but followed by guilt and, sometimes, harsh consequences.

You tell yourself to resist. You’ve reminded yourself countless times of the health issues and regret that come afterward. But the sight of it tempts you, and you give in.

Scott Boland’s bowling works the same way. Wondering how?

Boland’s action and wrist position allow him to move the ball just enough off the pitch. That’s cricket jargon—let’s simplify it.

When a batter watches Boland charging in, his action and wrist position suggest the ball will angle in. Naturally, batters—especially front-foot players like Kohli—instinctively reach out to play it. But here’s the twist: Boland’s deliveries often seam away just enough to kiss the bat’s edge.

Batters may practice endlessly to leave such balls or play them off the back foot. Yet, in the moment, they can’t stop themselves. His action, combined with the perfect length, triggers reflexes they struggle to control.

Humans are creatures of habit. Good or bad, our habits drive our actions. The longer we hold on to them, the harder they are to break. Think of the cookie analogy—resisting impulse takes incredible control

For batters, who have played a certain way their entire careers, changing overnight feels impossible. Boland’s bowling tests that impulse control.

On pitches that favor fast bowling—which most modern pitches do—he becomes even more dangerous. Australian surfaces, in particular, enhance his skillset. Boland’s impeccable line and length lure batters into playing “cookie deliveries,” while the extra bounce adds to the challenge.

Boland’s greatest strength lies in mastering the basics. He lands the ball on a good length and moves it subtly away from right-handers. His natural angle also allows him to bring deliveries back in, setting up bowled and lbw dismissals with scrambled seam precision.

Even if he’s not picking up the wickets he keeps the scoring rate in check mounting pressure on the batters.

His numbers in total are great for any bowler definitely for not the first-choice one. He averages 18, which is insane combined with a strike rate 39.2. Simply put; he takes a wicket every 6.3 overs, a wicket every spell.

He makes other bowlers better by not giving anything from his end.

Years of hard work on Australian pitches have made him one of the most reliable and effective bowlers on home soil. He’s the perfect supporting actor to Australia’s big three—Starc, Cummins, and Hazlewood. Whenever one of them misses a game, Boland steps in, delivers match-winning performances, and then seamlessly returns to his role as the ultimate team man. Few teams have had the luxury of a substitute whose inclusion strengthens the side rather than weakens it.

Boland already has a cult following in Australia. The only question that remains: how will he perform overseas?

However long his career lasts, Scotty Boland has already left a lasting impact on cricket.