The morning belonged to England. Bundling Australia out for 132 and taking a 40-run lead in the first innings, Ben Stokes’ side seemed comfortably in control at the start of the Ashes. But by the end of the day, the same England team found themselves on the wrong side of some embarrassing records. On a tour to Perth, Travis Head lifted Australia into a wave of joy while sinking the visiting English side into despair.
Chasing 204, Head single-handedly scored 123 off 83 balls. The left-hander reached three figures in just 69 deliveries, setting a world record for the fastest century in the fourth innings of a Test. Riding on Head’s record-breaking innings, Australia chased down the target losing only 2 wickets.
England’s defeat wasn’t just by 8 wickets—it came in two days. For the first time in 104 years, a Test side lost within two days in the Ashes series. The last instance was in May 1921, when Australia defeated England by 10 wickets in Nottingham.
After a dazzling display of bowling and a storming innings from Travis Head, the first Ashes Test was wrapped up in just two days.
England’s comfort from taking a first-innings lead quickly disappeared when they returned to bat in the second innings. Once again, Australia’s brilliant bowling restricted them well short of 200 runs. Chasing the target, Head unleashed a record-breaking century, leading the hosts to a comprehensive victory and taking the series lead.
At the Perth Test, Australia secured an emphatic eight-wicket win on Saturday, reaching their 205-run target in just 28.2 overs.
Mitchell Starc’s fiery first-innings spell saw England bowled out for 172. When Australia batted, they restricted England to just 132 runs, giving the visitors a slim 40-run lead. In their second innings, England again struggled against Australia’s bowlers, ending on 164.
On a bouncy Perth wicket, the fourth-innings chase looked tricky, but Head, stepping in for injured Usman Khawaja, proved all doubts wrong. He scored a sensational 123 off 83 balls, featuring four sixes and sixteen fours, marking his tenth Test century. Marnus Labuschagne contributed 51 runs from 31 balls, while Jake Weatherald added 23, helping Australia secure victory.
Head’s 69-ball 100 set a new record for the fastest century in a fourth-innings chase in Test history, and it stands as the second-fastest Ashes century after Adam Gilchrist’s 57-ball effort in 2006 at Perth.
Starc, absent fellow pacers Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood, anchored Australia’s bowling. His career-best seven-wicket haul in the first innings and three wickets in the second earned him the Player of the Match award. Scott Boland (4 wickets) and Brendan Doggett (3 wickets) also played key roles in wrapping up England cheaply.
This marks the first Ashes Test in 104 years to finish within two days.
The day had initially belonged to England, who bowled Australia out for 132, having trailed by 40 runs. But Starc struck early in England’s second innings, dismissing opener Jack Crawley with a brilliant one-handed catch. England’s top-order struggled, with key wickets falling cheaply, including Joe Root and Ben Stokes.
At 65/1, England seemed to have a foothold, but Australia’s bowlers systematically tore through the lineup, leaving the team all out for 164.
Chasing 205, Head and Weatherald started cautiously. Head reached his fifty in just 36 balls and smashed his first six off Brydon Carse. The duo built a strong opening partnership of 75 runs before Weatherald was dismissed. Head then raced to his century, surpassing 100 in just 69 balls, smashing boundaries at will. Labuschagne and Doggett guided Australia home with calm support, finishing on 205/2 in 28.2 overs.
The second Test in Brisbane is set to begin on 4 December.
Score Summary
- England 1st Innings: 172 all out
- Australia 1st Innings: 132 (45.2 overs; Lyon 4, Doggett 7*; Archer 9-4-11-2, Atkinson 12-5-24-0, Wood 8-1-21-0, Carse 10.2-1-45-3, Stokes 6-1-23-5)
- England 2nd Innings: 164 all out (Crawley 0, Duckett 28, Pope 33, Root 8, Brook 0, Stokes 2, Smith 15, Atkinson 37, Carse 20, Archer 5, Wood 4*)
Bowling: Starc 12-1-55-3, Boland 11.4-2-33-4, Doggett 9-0-51-3, Green 2-0-13-0
- England 2nd Innings: 164 all out (Crawley 0, Duckett 28, Pope 33, Root 8, Brook 0, Stokes 2, Smith 15, Atkinson 37, Carse 20, Archer 5, Wood 4*)
- Australia 2nd Innings: 205/2 (Chasing 205; Head 123, Weatherald 23, Labuschagne 51*, Smith 2*)
- Bowling: Archer 8-0-45-0, Atkinson 9-1-61-0, Carse 5.2-0-44-2, Wood 3-0-23-0, Stokes 2-0-18-0, Root 1-0-12-0
Result: Australia won by 8 wickets
Player of the Match: Mitchell Starc
Series: Australia leads 1-0 in the 5-Test Ashes series
