Scott Boland has best average in 100 years after hat-trick skittles West Indies

Scott Boland could lay claim to being Australia's unluckiest ever cricketer after adding a Test hat-trick to a magical late-career surge since his famous 2021 Boxing Day debut.

Statistically the best Test bowler in more than 100 years, Boland became just the 10th Australian man to take a hat-trick.

His haul on Monday (Tuesday AEST) in Jamaica came on a record-breaking day for the tourists, who bowled West Indies out for just 27 to wrap up a 176-run win and 3-0 sweep of the Frank Worrell Trophy.

Mitchell Starc was the chief destroyer with 6-9 up front, but Boland again vindicated the selectors' call to go with four quicks and leave out a fit Nathan Lyon for the first time in 12 years.

Test hat-tricks by Australians Fred Spofforth vs England, Melbourne 1878-79

Hugh Trumble vs England, Melbourne 1901-02

Hugh Trumble vs England, Melbourne 1903-04

Jimmy Matthews vs South Africa, Manchester 1912 (1st innings)

Jimmy Matthews vs South Africa, Manchester 1912 (2nd innings)

Lindsay Kline vs South Africa, Cape Town 1957-58

Betty WIlson vs England, Melbourne 1958

Merv Hughes vs West Indies, Perth 1988-89

Damien Fleming vs Pakistan, Rawalpindi 1994-95

Shane Warne vs England, Melbourne 1994-95

Glenn McGrath vs West Indies, Perth 2000-01

Peter Siddle vs England, Brisbane 2010-11

Rene Farrell vs England, Sydney 2011

Scott Boland v West Indies, Kingston 2025

Boland's inclusion also allowed him to join Glenn McGrath as the only paceman to play for Australia after his 36th birthday in the last 60 years.

In Australia's 39 Tests since his 2021 debut, Boland has played just 14 of them for a hat-trick, 6-7 on debut in 2021 and 10-wicket match haul in Sydney last summer.

All of it prompting Starc to label the seamer "one of the unluckiest men to ever wear the baggy green".

"He's such a fantastic bowler. He's always preparing to play and when he's had his opportunities, he's on the money," Starc said.

"[Boland is] a world-class bowler, we saw that again this week. Every chance he gets to pull on that baggy green, he plays his role so well.

"He's taking wickets and things happen so quickly for Scotty. To get a hat-trick was awesome to see.

"He downplayed that as well like it was just any other wicket. But I'm sure we'll enjoy a cold drink to celebrate that."

When Boland's next Test will come remains unclear.

Selectors have repeatedly shown that Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins maintain top billing in Australia's squad, with Boland only picked ahead of any of them once.

The final three Tests of this summer's Ashes will be played over a 23-day window, potentially opening the door for the Victorian to come in if one of the big three are rested.

Otherwise he could be forced to wait again, despite having the seventh-best bowling average in Test history with 16.53, and the best of any bowler in the past 100 years.

Boland has been close to hat-tricks before, but nailed his execution in Kingston when he took the top of Jomel Warrican's off stump.

He had previously discarded Justin Greaves and Shamar Joseph, edging the former off before having Joseph trapped LBW on review.

"Today was three classic Scotty Boland wickets," Cummins said.

"Three right at the stumps or not far away. Really happy for him.

"He has spent a lot of time running the drinks in the past year or two when the other guys are fit, but he is always quality when he comes in."

AAP

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