Travis Head's century leads Australia to an 8-wicket victory over England in Ashes series opener

Australia captain Steve Smith said Head offered to open the innings and he told him: "Go for your life!"

“That innings from Travis Head was out of this world," Smith said.

In three innings across five sessions, fast bowlers were right on top as 30 wickets fell for 468 runs 113 overs in Perth — 19 on a chaotic Day 1 and 11 before the tea interval on Day 2.

Set 205 to win, Head went in as a makeshift opener and plundered 123 from 83 balls, hitting boundaries to all parts of the ground as he hit the rope 16 times and cleared it on four occasions.

He was caught in the outfield trying to rush to victory, with Australia needing just 13 runs to win at 192-2.

Marnus Labuschagne leveled the scores with a six and was unbeaten on 51 when Australia reached 205-2.

Australia extended its unbeaten run in home Ashes tests to 16, with 14 victories and two draws since losing the 2010-11 series.

Momentum swinging test

England was on top for the first four sessions but lost control with a batting collapse after the lunch interval on Day 2.

Stokes won the toss, batted and England was skittled for 172, with veteran Australian paceman Mitchell Starc leading an under-strength bowling attack with a career-best 7-58.

Australia was then bowled out for 132, with the highest individual score of 26 and Stokes snaring a five-wicket haul after some early fireworks from his seamers.

In its second innings, England was cruising at 65-1 until the big momentum shift. At 76-2, England lost three wickets without scoring — lucky not to be 4-0 because of a dropped catch — and slid to be all out for 164.

That set up the last innings, with Australia having three days and one session to chase a moderate victory target.

Enter the mustachioed match-winner, Travis Head.

England's second innings demise

The stastistics suggested the pitch at Perth Stadium was playing like a minefield for most of the first two days.

Starc had 10 wickets for the match including the 7-58 in the first innings, starting Day 2 with a spectacular return catch to remove Zac Crawley and also removing Joe Root and Stokes as England was dismissed for 164 in its second innings.

England lost three wickets without scoring in a momentum-shifting spell after lunch on Day 2.

Australian pace bowler Scott Boland had Ollie Pope (33) caught behind and Harry Brook (0) caught at slip in the space of four balls. Two balls later, Starc removed Root (8) for the second time in the match — the England batter dragging one onto his stumps.

Pope, Brook and then Root were all out trying the same thing, reaching to play drives, and all with the total at 76.

It could have been worse for England, but Khawaja dropped a regulation catch off Jamie Smith at slip that would have made it four wickets without a run.

Starc then dismissed Stokes (2) to really send a tremor through the England lineup at 88-6, collecting his 10th wicket for the match.

Gus Atkinson (37) and Brydon Carse (20) joined with the total at 104-7 and put on 50 in quick time to ensure a 200-plus chase for the Aussies.

The long, long review

The seventh England wicket to fall was dramatic, with the TV umpire taking four minutes to review the dismissal over-and-over to determine if Jamie Smith’s glove or bat touched a delivery from Brendan Doggett as it carried down the legside to the wicketkeeper.

Smith appeared to start walking off but stopped as the TV umpire checked the “snicko” meter time and time again.

Head, fielding at short-leg, appealed confidently for the nick, but the on-field umpire initially gave it out. The decision is sure to spark some debate among rival fans.

What a catch!

Starc’s stunning catch to dismiss Crawley for a pair was the highlight of a comparatively mild morning session Saturday in the context of the test. He removed the England opener in the first over of the second innings a day after dismissing him in the first over of the match.

Starc was fully into his follow-through after a delivering a ball at around 140 kph (87 mph) and had the athletic ability to lunge to his left and take the catch at full stretch just above ground level to remove Crawley.

Next

The second test in the five-match series starts Dec. 4 at the Gabba in Brisbane.

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