Kingston (Jamaica): Mitchell Starc took six wickets for nine runs and Scott Boland claimed a hat-trick as Australia dismissed the West Indies for 27 — the second-lowest total ever in test cricket — to win the third test by 176 runs on Monday.
The West Indies missed the lowest score in test cricket by one run, due to a misfield.
Starc’s first 15 balls delivered the fastest five-wicket haul in test history, and his 15th five-wicket innings in tests. The tall left-arm paceman took a wicket with the first ball of the West Indies’ second innings and three wickets in that first over — a triple-wicket maiden.
Australia needed only 14.3 overs to rout the home team in the first day-night test at Sabina Park and complete a 3-0 series sweep.
“It’s been a fantastic series. I think we’ve seen some difficult batting conditions throughout,” said Starc, who claimed his 400th career test wicket in his 100th test, a memorable milestone. “It’s been a good few days, very enjoyable and I’ll go home with a smile on my face.”
Starc said he felt like his rhythm had been building for a month.
“Today again just felt like everything was in sync,” he said. “Everyone who had the ball in hand today was on the mark straight away.
“I don’t think we imagined it was going to happen as quickly as it did but when you’ve got an attack like ours, some things can happen like that.”
Bowlers dominate
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Bowlers dominated the series and the difference was batting, with Australia doing just enough to win the first two tests — by 159 runs in Barbados then by 133 runs in Grenada — and then sweep the Frank Worrell Trophy.
While Starc missed a hat-trick chance after dismissing Kevlon Anderson and Brandon King with consecutive deliveries, Boland completed his with the wickets of Justin Greaves, Shamar Joseph and Jomel Warrican. It was the 10th test hat-trick by an Australian, and the first in 15 years.
Boland finished with three wickets for two runs.
The West Indies was out for its lowest test score, eclipsing the 47 against England on the same ground in 2004. At 11-6 in the sixth over it was in danger of inheriting the lowest score in test history.
A misfield by 19-year-old opener Sam Konstas in the 14th over allowed the West Indies to take a single and reach 27, narrowly avoiding New Zealand’s 70-year-old record of 26 set against England at Auckland in 1955.
Earlier, Alzarri Joseph took 5-27 as the West Indies bowled out Australia for 121 in its second innings, leaving a chase of 204 runs for victory. Australia began Day 3 at 99-6 but lasted only eight more overs.
Cameron Green, who battled hard on Day 2 to reach 42, was out to the first ball of the day and the Australian lower order followed quickly.
When the West Indies replied, Starc produced an outstanding display of fast bowling on a responsive pitch.
His first ball of the second innings, he compelled opener John Campbell to play defensive at a ball which moved away and he was caught by concussion substitute wicketkeeper Josh Inglis. Inglis was keeping in place of Alex Carey, who was struck on the helmet by Alzarri Joseph while batting late on Day 2.
Starc then removed Anderson lbw, bowled King without scoring and Mikyle Lewis for 4, leaving the West Indies four wickets down for five runs. His fifth wicket was Shai Hope, trapped lbw by a ball that swung in at pace to hit the back pad.
When Josh Hazlewood dismissed captain Roston Chase, caught by Inglis without scoring, the West Indies was 11-6. Taking out extras, the top six West Indies batters collectively scored only six runs. Only four of the 11 batters scored runs.
The West Indies was 22-6 at the dinner break. Shortly after it passed 26, helped by two dropped catches in the slips by Sam Konstas off Starc.
Boland’s hat-trick brought the end closer and Starc’s sixth wicket — Jayden Searles bowled by a full delivery for a duck — finished the match inside three days.
West Indies captain Chase said it was a heartbreaking way to finish. He credited his bowlers for troubling the Australians throughout the series but said the batting lineup didn’t click.
The West Indies Cricket Board summed it up the feeling in the Caribbean in one social media post: “Absolutely gutted by today’s result.”
