A fit and firing Scott Boland is reaping the benefits of a modified approach to his bowling workload at the end of a long season, as he sets his sights on steering Victoria to Sheffield Shield glory.
The 36-year-old took time off after playing a crucial role in Australia's 3-1 Ashes series win, and has picked up where he left off on return to the domestic scene.
Boland has taken 26 wickets at 14.62 this season for runaway leaders Victoria, who will try to unseat champions South Australia in the final at Junction Oval starting on Thursday.
"My body's in a really good spot," Victoria's all-time leading wicket-taker said ahead of his 100th Shield appearance in the final.
"This will be my 11th red-ball game this summer, so it's a bigger workload than I've had the last few years.
"But with the benefit of having little breaks in between series or games, I can really invest back into my body to make sure I'm strong and keeping my little niggles at bay."
Boland's inner confidence has grown with experience, allowing him to better manage his workload.
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"When I was younger I didn't have the belief that I could just rock up and put the ball in the right spot - I just wanted to keep bowling," he said.
"But I think as I've got older and learnt what I need to do to make sure I'm bowling really well, I think I have a lot more belief now.
"I'd rather go into a game a touch underdone, knowing that I'll pick it up in the game, as opposed to coming into a game a bit fatigued and sore from bowling too much in the nets."
Boland will form part of a five-man bowling unit for Victoria, with one of Mitch Perry and Sam Elliott set to make way for the returning Fergus O'Neill.
It will be a tough call, with Elliott (33 wickets in seven matches) and Perry (32 in eight matches) Victoria's most prolific Shield bowlers this season.
Perry (14 votes) was also named runner-up to South Australia's Liam Scott (15) in the umpire-voted Sheffield Shield player of the season award.
"Sam is probably the most inexperienced out of those guys, but whenever we've needed a wicket he's bowled some really good spells," Boland said.
"I don't envy the job of Buck (coach Chris Rogers) and the others this week picking the team."
Victoria will be without batting allrounder Matt Short in the final because of IPL duties, with Test blaster Travis Head also unavailable for South Australia.
"I think the landscape has changed a lot over the last five years," Boland said.
"We'd obviously love to have Shorty but are glad Trav (Head) is not here. You win one, you lose one.
"That's just the way world cricket is going."
Boland isn't bothered by forecast rain in Melbourne on Thursday and Friday, tipping the additional day of play in the final will come in handy.
"There's enough time in the game that it will play out how it needs to play out," Boland said.
"Hopefully that (forecast) changes and we get as much play as we can over the first few days."
