Maxwell and Boland Return for Victoria's Historic Day-Night Clash

Dr. Annelies De Vos · 2026-09-23

Glenn Maxwell is back in Victoria's One-Day Cup squad to face New South Wales, and he's arriving straight from Dublin, just five days after captaining the Belfast Wolves in the ETPL final. That's a whirlwind turnaround, but if anyone can handle it, it's Maxi. Scott Boland is also in the mix for this game, which will be the first-ever floodlit match at the Junction Oval under the new lights on Friday. It's a historic moment for the venue, and having two big names like Maxwell and Boland involved only adds to the buzz. ### Maxwell's Surprise Return Without a Contract Here's the thing: Maxwell retired from ODI cricket earlier this year and doesn't hold a contract with Victoria or Cricket Australia. He was removed from CA's central contract list, and he's only notionally available for T20I selection. But he hasn't formally retired from Test cricket, so there's still a bit of intrigue there. Australia have just five T20Is scheduled in the 2026-27 contract year, and Maxwell wasn't picked for the most recent series against Bangladesh in June. Still, he'd talked with Victoria about playing in the One-Day Cup earlier in the winter, and that chat turned into a spot in the squad for this NSW game. This isn't the first time Maxwell has played in this competition since his ODI retirement. Last September, he played two matches for Victoria, including his maiden List A century for the state. Back then, he was still contracted to CA, and those games were preparation for a T20I tour of New Zealand. Victoria have four more One-Day Cup fixtures before the BBL starts: September 25, October 12, October 24, and November 16. Coach Chris Rogers hasn't said whether Maxwell will play beyond Friday. ### Boland Set for One Outing Before Joining Test Squad Boland will get one game with Victoria before flying to South Africa on Sunday to join Australia's Test squad. He missed Victoria's win over Queensland in Brisbane last week, so this is a quick tune-up before he heads off. Rogers said having contracted players like Boland around helps the squad both on the field and in the locker room. "They set an example for the younger guys," he said. Plus, with the match falling on the eve of the AFL Grand Final, there should be a good crowd at the Junction Oval. ### Victoria Manage a Squad Stretched Across Commitments Victoria are missing several players who are away on national duty. Peter Handscomb, Sam Harper, Campbell Kellaway, Todd Murphy, and Fergus O'Neill are all with the Australia A squad in India, while Ollie Peake is with Australia's ODI squad in South Africa. Everyone except Murphy is expected back for the October 12 match. Murphy will stay with Australia A for three one-day games that wrap up on October 11. Rogers admitted that fitting all the contracted players back into the side will be tricky as the season goes on. He also praised the younger players for their performance in the win over Queensland. Victoria chased down 336 after being 14 for 4, thanks to debutant centuries from Liam Blackford and captain Will Sutherland. Rogers said the depth shown by uncapped players is a good sign for the program's future. > "The way the young guys stood up under pressure shows the strength of our system," Rogers said. "It's a long season, and we'll need everyone." For more cricket news and updates, visit JeetWin Blog!