Scott Boland wrote another page into Australian cricketing folklore on Saturday with one otherworldly over that left the West Indies on the brink of a monstrous defeat in the second Test.
Ten West Indies wickets fell in the space of 41 overs at the Adelaide Oval on day three, coming either side of a second Australian innings that set-up a chase of 497 runs.
The first session saw the West Indies’ first innings end on 214, before Australia posted 6-199 and sent the tourists back in to bat.
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Scott Boland takes THREE in an over! | 01:26
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At stumps, the West Indies are 4-38 and trailing by 459 runs.
The dire situation comes after Boland turned the Adelaide Oval into the MCG, producing another moment of carnage that will long live in the memory.
Boland was handed the ball for the sixth over, and delivered a triple-wicket maiden with West Indies captain Kraigg Brathwaite, Shamarh Brooks and Jermaine Blackwood all dismissed.
The 32-year-old clipped the outside edge of Brathwaite and then trapped Brooks in front with a ball that nipped back into the right-hanger.
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A scarcely-believable third wicket came when the ball flew off Blackwood’s outside edge, and Cameron Green snared a stunner at gully.
“That is the over from heaven,” Kerry O’Keeffe said on Fox Cricket.
“As good an over as you’ll see in Test cricket.”
West Indies’ shining light in this series, Tagenarine Chanderpaul, couldn’t offer one more act of defiance and was dismissed by Mitchell Starc three overs later for 17.
Brathwaite’s side made it to stumps without further damage, but it is now only a matter of when Australia will complete a 2-0 whitewash.
Earlier, Australia built an insurmountable lead in an aggressive second session.
Usman Khawaja top-scored with 45 off 50 balls, while Marnus Labuschagne (31), Steve Smith (35) and Travis Head (38*) all contributed.
During the innings Labuschagne passed 500 runs agianst the West Indies this summer, becoming just the seventh cricketer to manage the feat in a two-Test series.
Since the start of the Perth Test, Labuschagne’s career average has climbed from 54.02 to 60.82.
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Horror show : TWO West Indies run out! | 00:56
Head’s unbeaten knock came off only 27 balls, and took his average for the Test in his home state to 213.
Meanwhile, David Warner failed to make a big score again, chopping on to Roston Chase for 28, while Alex Carey was bowled by Alzarri Joseph – who took 3-33 – for eight.
In the West Indies’ first innings, Nathan Lyon finished with best figures of 3-57, while Starc (2-48) and Michael Neser (2-34) claimed two wickets each.
Day four begins at 3pm AEDT.
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