Steve Smith breaks Frank Worrell trophy after win over West Indies

A comedy of errors followed Australia’s historic victory over West Indies with the hosts ‘desecrating’ one of cricket’s most iconic trophies. Watch the video here.

A comedy of errors followed Australia’s historic victory over West Indies with the hosts ‘desecrating’ one of cricket’s most iconic trophies.

As Australia celebrated the series win in Adelaide, a streamer cannon spooked Steve Smith on the podium, prompting the stand-in captain to grab the cricket ball on top of the Frank Worrell Trophy.

Smith, fighting a streamer wrapped round his neck courtesy of Marnus Labuschagne, appears bemused as the ball separated from the trophy.

Squad member Marcus Harris can be seen pointing at the broken trophy as Smith desperately tries to reattach the six stitcher.

Steve Smith broke the trophy, held it in place for the photo, tried to fix it, dropped it on David Warner’s foot, then Marnus picked it up and was ready to bowl it.

😂😂 #AUSvWIpic.twitter.com/oj11F3rmOG

— News Cricket (@NewsCorpCricket) December 11, 2022

With team members clamouring for a look at the detached trophy, Smith dropped the famous ball on Warner’s foot, forcing the batsman to limp off the stage.

“Have they just taken the ball off the top of the trophy? Adam Gilchist asked his fellow Fox Sport commentators.

The Aussies might want to find some superglue before heading into the West Indies sheds.

Cricket Australia has since confirmed the trophy was originally broken during transit from Perth to Adelaide and hastily repaired. However, the repairs didn’t last long as Smith’s accident on stage drew attention to the damaged trophy.

STARS SHINE IN HISTORIC SERIES WIN

- Ben Horne

Nathan Lyon has taken his 450th Test wicket and Mitchell Starc only needs four more to reach 300, as Australia handed the West Indies the biggest runs defeat in their once proud history.

Australia made fast work of finishing off the hapless visitors for an emphatic 419-run day four victory in the second Test, with the West Indies collapsing to be all out for 77 – also their lowest Test score ever on Australian soil.

Starc (3-29), Scott Boland (3-16) and Michael Neser (3-22) were all superb in sharing the load, with Lyon taking the other second innings scalp to reach another milestone in his incredible career.

Australia now sets its sights on the real challenger this summer, a three Test series against South Africa starting next week in Brisbane.

Pat Cummins is aiming to return and captain the side at the Gabba, meaning selectors face a potentially tough choice on Boland and Neser, who were both outstanding.

Mitchell Starc is on the cusp of joining one of cricket’s elite clubs. Picture: Chris Hyde/Getty

Boland has the edge and would be expected to play, but Neser could still play his first ever Test at home in Queensland if Cummins fails to prove his fitness from a quad injury.

Starc is almost certain to keep ploughing through and could create history of his own at the Gabba by joining cricket’s illustrious 300-wicket club.

Marnus Labuschagne was a knock-out man of the series with his 502 runs the most ever across a two-Test series for an Australian.

It took Australia less than a session to wipe out the West Indies on day four after the visitors resumed with six wickets in the shed.

SERIES OVER! ANOTHER MILESTONE FOR GOAT

Nathan Lyon reaches another milestone, taking his 450th Test wicket in Adelaide before Neser and Carey combine to seal the Test match and the series.

WICKET TUMBLE: TAKE A BOW, ALEX CAREY!

Alex Carey takes the catch of the summer!

Australia’s wicketkeeper decides to stand up to the stumps for Michael Neser’s spell and it pays immediate dividends.

Neser draws a thick edge from Roston Chase’s bat that cannons into Carey’s chest before the keeper gloves it.

But the pair isn’t done! Neser and Carey combine for a carbon copy dismissal the same over, edging Josh De Silva - but there’s nothing lucky about that one with Carey gloving it nicely. Incredible work behind the stumps.

Unfortunately for Mitch Starc, Neser and Carey combine to end his chance at taking 300 Test wickets in Adelaide.

Alex Carey take a bow! 🙌

Stunning work up to the stumps. #AUSvWIpic.twitter.com/3lYZUaxBfE

— News Cricket (@NewsCorpCricket) December 11, 2022

INJURY UPDATE: BAD NEWS FOR HAZLEWOOD

Kath Loughnan has some breaking injury news from Adelaide Oval.

“Josh Hazlewood is highly unlikely to play the first Test against South Africa at the Gabba next week he is at home still resting and recovering in Sydney due to that side strain he suffered after the Perth Test.

Cricket Australia will release their squad for the first Test against the Proteas at the conclusion of this Test where we will get confirmation.

Who comes in for Hazlewood - Boland (retains spot), Neser (retains spot),

Neser has an extraordinary home record in Brisbane, 77 Shield wickets at 19.00, but Boland’s form seems irresistible after his heroics in Adelaide.

The wild (Thing) card is Lance Morris, the uncapped speed demon who could counter South Africa’s searing pace attack.

WHAT THE EXPERTS SAY:

IAN SMITH: It’s a luxury, spoiled for choices.

GILLY: Why doesn’t Lance Morris get a guernsey? I think not. I’m banking on Scott Boland (for the Gabba Test).

SKULL: Boland plays, Morris in reserves.

WICKET: STARC DOUBLE STRIKES KEEPS RECORD ALIVE

Scott Boland could do the Windies in his opening spell ... or it could be pink ball king Mitch Starc!

Starc needs just five wickets - with five West Indies wickets remaining - to reach 300 Test scalps after removing Devon Thomas in the third over of the day.

That’s 60 pink ball wickets at an average of 18 for the day-night king.

Starc is knocking them down - he wants 300 in Adelaide!

This time swinging the ball in and crashing into Jason Holder’s stumps.

Bit going on at the Cathedral End with a big branch of one of the Moreton Bay Figs snapping - luckily, the electronic scoreboard stopped its fall. #AUSvWIpic.twitter.com/dXxY72519G

— Adam Collins (@collinsadam) December 11, 2022

PONTING: STAR’S DRY SPELL BECOMING AN ISSUE

- Daniel Cherny

Another underwhelming David Warner score has placed the veteran opener’s lean run further in the spotlight, with Ricky Ponting acknowledging that Warner’s barren spell was becoming an issue.

Ponting also questioned Australia’s handling of Cameron Green after the all-rounder was left with precious little time in the middle ahead of this week’s Test showdown with South Africa.

Warner, 36, was bowled by West Indian spinner Roston Chase for 28 on Saturday, continuing his almost three-year run without a Test century. Warner is averaging just 28.12 in Test cricket in the last two years.

While the controversy around his leadership ban has dominated headlines, the left-hander’s form has become the elephant in the room ahead of a challenging schedule with tours of India and England to come next year, following the three-Test home series against South Africa.

“I didn’t realise it was that lean, to be honest,” Ponting said when told of Warner’s recent record on Channel 7.

Ricky Ponting admits David Warner’s recent form has been concerning, as his Test average over the last two years dropped to 28.12. Picture: AFP.

“You talk about how things are getting tougher for Warner with the attack the South Africans have got. Well, it’s never easy in India either. We know what wickets we will get there,” We will get turning pitches. No doubt. It’s never been easy for any Australian batsman going there and trying to play in those conditions. Then on the back of that, what’s after that? The Ashes, in England as well. We will get conditions that will suit (Stuart) Broad, (Jimmy) Anderson and (Ollie) Robinson.”

Green will meanwhile confront South Africa’s much-vaunted pace battery having made just 53 runs across all forms of cricket since the start of October after miscuing a pull from an Alzarri Joseph short-ball to be removed for just five from four balls as the Aussies searched for quick runs on day three of the second Test against the West Indies in Adelaide.

Australia batted at quicker than a run-a-ball in posting 6-199 before declaring on Saturday night, with the hosts subjecting the Windies to more than an hour under lights in their unlikely pursuit of 497 for a series-levelling victory.

Ponting also questions Australia’s usage of Cameron Green, suggesting he needs more time with the bat. Picture: Getty Images.

It was Australia’s answer to England’s ultra-aggressive innovation, with a lighthearted sign visible in the Aussie viewing room reading “Ron Ball,” a reference to Australian coach Andrew “Ronnie” McDonald and a variation on England’s “Baz Ball” under coach Brendon McCullum.

But while Scott Boland ripped through the Windies’ top order to all but ensure a heavy Australian victory, the legendary Ponting pondered whether “Ron Ball” was the right way to go, particularly when it came to Green.

The emerging West Australian’s bowling workload has been a regular topic of discussion over recent seasons but in this case it is his batting that is in the spotlight. Having been on the fringe of the Australian white-ball setup, Green did not appear for WA in the first half of the Sheffield Shield season. Then as a result of Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith and Travis Head’s collective dominance, Green has barely batted in this series, going without a hit in Perth and then making nine and five in Adelaide.

While he has been impactful with the ball and in the field, Green has looked shaky with the bat. His mindset could not have been helped by a mix-up that led to Head’s first innings run out.

Ponting queried whether the Australian approach was shortsighted, particularly ahead of the series against South Africa, whose pace attack of Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi, Marco Jansen, Anrich Nortje and Gerald Coetzee is all but certain to prove a much sterner test than that posed by the hapless West Indians.

The series against the Proteas begins at the Gabba next Saturday.

“I am not sure about this. I am not sure what they are trying to achieve,” Ponting said.

“I mean that man there (Green) now maybe has another dent in his confidence for being dismissed cheaply again in a Test match. They’ve got more than enough runs, they have 460 runs on the board and Alex Carey is coming out. As you said earlier, we know that they are trying to give the bowlers a reasonable break, but if they think they’ve got enough runs, let Green just go out and bat.”

Green, 23, has a Test batting average of 33.5, posting four half-centuries this year. However a Test ton remains elusive since his debut at Adelaide Oval two seasons ago.

The management of Green in general has been a hot talking point amid discussions about whether he should nominate for the Indian Premier League given his age, long-term importance and workload.

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Originally published as Steve Smith breaks Frank Worrell trophy after win over West Indies