Starc, Boland claim slice of history on memorable day
Mitch Starc and Scott Boland made light work of West Indies to seal the Frank Worrell Trophy
Mitchell Starc has become the fourth Australian to take 400 wickets amid the fastest five-wicket haul in Test history that sunk West Indies to the second lowest score ever recorded in Test cricket.
Scott Boland also took a hat-trick as the Windies capitulated to 27 all out on day three at Sabina Park in Jamaica, just one more than the 26 New Zealand managed against England in 1955.
Starc took three wickets in his first over after West Indies were set 204 to win the day-night series finale in Kingston, but the left-armer ensured they were never in it as he dismissed Shai Hope with his 15th delivery of the innings, to set a new mark for the fastest five-for in Test cricket.
His fourth two balls earlier – Mikyle Louis also lbw – saw him become the fourth Australian bowler to notch 400 career wickets after Shane Warne (708), Glenn McGrath (563) and great mate Nathan Lyon (562).
The 35-year-old's sixth wrapped up a thumping 176-run win that saw Australia sweep West Indies in a three-match series or more for the first time in the Caribbean, with the hosts' seven ducks in their second innings a new record in a Test innings.
Starc finished with a career-best 6-9 from 7.3 overs, eclipsing the 6-48 he also took with the pink ball against India last December, as it took the left-armer, Hazlewood (1-10) and Boland (3-2) just 14.3 overs to roll the Windies for their lowest score ever, with skipper Pat Cummins not even required to bowl himself.
Not to be denied a slice of the action, Boland removed Justin Greaves, Shamar Joseph and Jomel Warrican with consecutive deliveries to start his second over to become the 10th Australian to take a Test hat-trick.
Coincidentally, it was another Victorian who took the last Test hat-trick for Australia, with Boland the first since Peter Siddle's memorable Ashes effort on his 26th birthday at the Gabba in 2010.
"This whole morning session happened really quick," said Boland post-match after revealing it was his first hat-trick in any level of cricket.
"I didn't really know how to feel when it happened, but we we're watching it on the screen in the (rooms after the match) and the boys said I should have celebrated it a bit more.
"But I'm really happy and to bowl a team out for 27 is pretty cool."
The tourists had earlier lost their final four wickets for 22 runs to be bowled out for 121 in their second innings, but it only set the tone for what was to come as Starc and then Boland wrapped up the game before the first break on day three.
While the pace bowlers dominated with all 40 wickets with the pink ball in Jamaica, Cameron Green's gusty innings under lights on day two ensured Australia had what would prove ample to defend in the fourth innings.
But he was out first ball of day three, unable to add to his overnight score of 42 as Shamar Joseph (4-34) nipped one back off the seam that clattered into the stumps between Green's bat and pad.
Cummins (5) also failed to add to his overnight score as Shamar and namesake Alzarri Joseph (5-27) brought the Aussie innings to an end less than 40 minutes in day three, the latter claiming a career-best five-wicket haul.
With 120 wickets falling in less than 10 days of cricket across the series – the second shortest three-Test series this century by balls bowled (3936) – batting has no doubt been as difficult as ever for both sides, but it was West Indies that sunk to a new low on Monday.
Their 27 all out beat their previous lowest Test score by 20 runs, with that effort of 47 also coming in Kingston against England in 2004.
The hosts only made it past 200 once in six batting efforts this series (253 in the first innings in Grenada), so while their bowling can compete with the world's best, it's their consistency with the bat that took a hit as they strive to climb up the WTC table.
The series ended with the fourth lowest combined batting average (17.68) for both teams in a bilateral contest with three Tests or more, while King's 75 in the first innings in Grenada was the second lowest top score for a series of at least three matches.
While no Australian batter scored a century a series for the first time since the 2017-18 Border-Gavaskar Trophy, the visitors will be buoyed by how Green has grown into his new No.3 role throughout the campaign after assuming the position on his return from back surgery in last month's World Test Championship.
The allrounder, who is set to resume bowling in the early stages of the Australian domestic season, saved his strongest performance for the third Test with a defining hand of 46 alongside Steve Smith's 48 in the first innings of the match, finishing third on the series runs tally with 184 behind middle-order dynamos Travis Head (224) and Alex Carey (187), who were both instrumental in the Aussies winning the first two Tests.
Carey, who was hit on the head by an Alzarri Joseph bouncer on day two, was diagnosed with concussion and didn't field on day three, with the gloves instead taken by Josh Inglis.
Australia had already extended their Frank Worrell Trophy stranglehold beyond 30 years with wins in the first two Tests in Barbados and Grenada, with victory in Jamaica seeing the tourists sweep West Indies in a three-match series for the first time since Ricky Ponting's side won all three Tests at home in 2005.
But they had never done so before in the Caribbean, having won both Tests of the two-match series on their last tour in 2015. Australia's previous best away result against West Indies was a 3-0 series victory across five matches in 1955.
Australia's clean sweep will put them at the top of the standings with a win percentage of 100 early in the 2025-27 WTC cycle, with their next assignment a blockbuster five Tests against arch-rivals England beginning in Perth in late November.
West Indies meanwhile face India away in October, but before then the two nation's T20 sides will lock horns in a five-match series beginning at Sabina Park on Sunday night (10am Monday AEST) as they build towards next year's T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka.
Mitch Starc and Scott Boland made light work of West Indies to seal the Frank Worrell Trophy
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