Australia stamped its dominance on Caribbean soil once again, crushing West Indies by 133 runs on a treacherous National Stadium surface and wrapping up the Frank Worrell Trophy with a match to spare. The hosts, staring at an achievable 277, wilted to 143 all out in just 34.3 overs—proof that batting was a high-risk venture on a two-paced deck where timing was a rumour and stroke-play a gamble.
The afternoon’s destruction crew featured Mitchell Starc and Nathan Lyon—three wickets apiece—while Josh Hazlewood and skipper Pat Cummins chipped in with early daggers that left the chase in tatters at 33-for-4 before the lunch bell had stopped echoing. Starc’s haul pushed him to 394 Test victims and set the stage for a potential 400-wicket landmark in what will double as his 100th appearance when the pink-ball finale begins next Saturday in Kingston.
Roston Chase resisted longest with a stoic 34 and found fleeting support from Shai Hope, but once Hazlewood coaxed Hope into a self-destructive swat, the inevitable followed at sprint speed. Shamar Joseph lit up his own highlight reel—four-for-66 in Australia’s second innings and a counter-attacking 24 with the bat—yet those bright flashes barely dented the daylight between the sides.
Earlier, Joseph had mopped up Australia’s tail to limit the tourists to 243 and keep the target under 300, but any optimism evaporated when John Campbell fell leg-before to Hazlewood and Kraigg Brathwaite endured a grim hundredth Test, managing only seven runs to accompany his first-innings duck.
Brandon King’s middle-order stay ended in Cummins-authored destruction, while Keacy Carty’s brief, bruising vigil was cut short by Starc. Camden Green’s dropped catch proved a mere footnote; the script never changed. Lyon tidied up the tail just before tea, sealing Australia’s 2-0 advantage and extending their two-decade stranghold on the Frank Worrell silverware.
With the series settled, the conversation turns to Kingston’s day-night Test: Starc’s looming milestone, Lyon’s relentless climb, and whether West Indies can summon resistance under lights. On current evidence, the trophy—and the narrative—remain firmly in Australian hands.
