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Australia’s Marnus Labuschagne in action.
Australia won the first test against England by eight wickets inside two days on Saturday to take a 1-0 lead in the five-match Ashes series.
Makeshift opener Travis Head scored a brilliant 83-ball 123 to lift Australia to an astonishing eight-wicket victory inside two days against England on Saturday, powering his side to 205-2 late in the final session of the Ashes opener at Perth Stadium.
The manic style of cricket, which produced the shortest Ashes test by overs-bowled to deliver a result since 1888, kept the crowd enthralled as both sides gained and relinquished the ascendancy throughout.
England had set Australia a target of 205 after being bowled out for 164 by tea on day two, losing nine second-session wickets in the wake of a Scott Boland seam masterclass of four for 33. The tourists had made 172 in their first innings.
Head, taking the place of opener Usman Khawaja, who gingerly left the field in England’s 27th over with back trouble, got Australia’s run chase off to a rollicking start, giving England a taste of their own ‘Bazball’ medicine in the third session.
The near 50 000-strong crowd came to life when Head slashed Brydon Carse (2-44) for six over third man to bring up 50 for his side, and later roared their approval when he peeled four boundaries off Ben Stokes’ second over.
Marnus Labuschagne added an impressive 49-ball 51 after debutant Jake Weatherald (23) had fallen to Carse, but the moment belonged to Head, who brought up Australia’s equal-third fastest century with a risky upper-cut and a scurried single.
The fourth innings raced to a conclusion with Head clubbing four sixes and 16 boundaries before launching Carse to Ollie Pope at deep midwicket, hugging Labuschagne and soaking in the applause as he walked off.
Stand-in skipper Steve Smith, unbeaten on two, hit the winning run with a single punched to the off-side.
“Today was just incredible, wasn’t it?” said Smith.
“That innings from Travis Head was out of this world. He just played some outrageous shots, and even when he shanked it, he seemed to hit the gaps. It’s one of those days when you’re on, you’re on, and he made the most of it and got us home.”
England skipper Stokes agreed.
“I’m a little bit shell-shocked, I think that innings by Travis Head was pretty phenomenal,” he said.
“It’s quite raw, quite fresh at the moment, but sheesh, that was some knock.”
