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Travis Head has plundered a stunning 69-ball century in a session to steer Australia to a famous eight-wicket win in Perth after England’s batters faltered for a second time in match that will live long in the memory.
Australia will take a 1-0 series lead into the second Test in Brisbane after reaching 2-205 in just 28.2 overs to record an emphatic victory inside two days that lands a hammer blow on England’s hopes of regaining the Ashes.
For a player with just 167 runs across all formats of cricket during the past three months, this was a return to form of epic proportions and an innings that will go down as one of the greatest Ashes performances in history.
Off the back of a 10-wicket haul from player of the match Mitchell Starc, “Travball” decimated “Bazball” on an exhilarating afternoon of cricket as the dominant left-hander powered Australia towards their target of 205, belting 123 from 83 balls in front of 49,983 awe-struck spectators.
It was the equal sixth-quickest century in Test history and equal third fastest by an Australian, in terms of balls faced, since Adam Gilchrist’s magnificent 57-ball ton in 2006 and David Warner’s 69-ball effort in Perth in 2011.
Head was caught in the deep on the leg side with Australia just 13 runs short of victory and left the field to a standing ovation. Marnus Labuschagne (51 not out off 49 balls) was outstanding as Steve Smith hit the winning runs through cover.
Travis Head celebrates an incredible century in Perth.Credit: AP
Head underlined his status as a big-game player, following his century in the 2023 World Test Championship final and hundred in the ODI World Cup that year.
With Usman Khawaja unable to open for the second time in the match, due to back spasms after playing three consecutive rounds of golf this week, Head put his hand up to open with debutant Jake Weatherald (23), and potentially cemented his spot there for the remainder of the series with one of the most flamboyant and devastating Ashes innings.
Just when the England team – and many members of the UK press – thought the tourists had landed the first killer blow of the five-match series, Australia wrestled back control to swing the game in their favour.
With England cruising at 1-65 in their second innings and leading by 105 runs, there was no excuse to not win. The failure to do will leave the tourists shell-shocked and searching for answers, after their fast bowlers were mediocre with the game on the line and Head taking them down with disdain.
Travis Head flays a six.Credit: Getty Images
The irony of Head being thrown up to open was not lost on anyone. The only reason Khawaja’s Test career was revived in 2022 was when he took Head’s place at the top of the order due to COVID-19. Khawaja made twin centuries against England at the SCG and never looked back.
Joe Root’s century drought in Australia also continued on Saturday as the England champion endured his leanest Ashes outing, falling cheaply for the second time in the Test as Mitchell Starc stormed to a third career 10-wicket haul.
On a day punctuated by drama, technology delays and another English batting collapse, Root’s dismissal for eight – dragging a Starc delivery back onto his stumps – amplified the growing scrutiny around the 34-year-old’s record in this country.
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England unravelled spectacularly to lose 4-9 as Ben Duckett (28), Ollie Pope (33), Harry Brook (0) and Root all departed in a frenetic – and match-defining – spell. England were bowled out for 164 to go with their first-innings effort of 172.
Root had promised before the series that the Ashes in Australia remained unfinished business, but his wait for a Test century on these shores now spans 29 innings and 15 matches since 2013. Despite nine half-centuries in that time, the three-figure milestone continues to elude him – a fact Australian fans will continue to remind him of.
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