Maxwell and Boland Return for Victoria's Historic Night Match

Dr. Annelies De Vos · 2026-09-23

Glenn Maxwell is back in Victoria's One-Day Cup squad for their clash against New South Wales. And he's not alone—Scott Boland joins him for what will be a historic night at the Junction Oval. This Friday, Victoria will play their first-ever floodlit match at the iconic venue, thanks to newly installed lights. It's a big moment for the state, and having two star players return makes it even bigger. ### Maxwell's Surprise Return Without a Contract Maxwell's inclusion is a bit of a shocker. He retired from ODI cricket earlier this year and doesn't hold a contract with Victoria or Cricket Australia. He was even removed from CA's central contract list. But he's still available for T20Is, though he hasn't officially retired from Tests. Australia only has five T20Is scheduled in the 2026-27 contract year, and Maxwell wasn't picked for the recent series against Bangladesh. But he'd spoken with Victoria about playing in the One-Day Cup, and that chat turned into a spot in the squad. This isn't his first One-Day Cup game since retiring from ODIs. Last September, he played two matches for Victoria, including his first List A century for the state. Back then, he was still contracted to CA and used those games to prep for a T20I tour of New Zealand. Victoria has 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 if Maxwell will play beyond Friday. ### Boland's Quick Stop Before Test Duty Scott Boland will play just one game for Victoria before heading to South Africa on Sunday to join Australia's Test squad. He missed Victoria's opening win over Queensland in Brisbane last week. Rogers believes having contracted players like Boland around helps the squad. "They perform on the field and set an example for the younger guys," he said. He also thinks the timing—right before the AFL Grand Final—will draw a big crowd. ### Victoria's Squad Stretched Thin Victoria is missing several players who are on national duty: - Peter Handscomb, Sam Harper, Campbell Kellaway, Todd Murphy, and Fergus O'Neill are with Australia A in India. - Ollie Peake is with Australia's ODI squad in South Africa. Everyone except Murphy should be back for the October 12 match. Murphy stays with Australia A for three one-day games ending October 11. Rogers admits it'll be tough to fit everyone in as the season goes on. He also praised the younger players after their win over Queensland, where they chased down 336 after being 14 for 4. Debutant Liam Blackford and captain Will Sutherland both scored hundreds. Rogers says the depth shown by uncapped players is a good sign for Victoria's program. > "The way the younger guys stepped up shows the strength of our system," Rogers said. For more cricket news and updates, visit JeetWin Blog!