PERTH: Australia stormed to an emphatic eight-wicket win over England inside two days on Saturday, taking a 1-0 lead in the five-match Ashes series after a contest dominated by fast bowlers and one extraordinary innings.
Chasing 205 for victory, makeshift opener Travis Head produced a brilliantly composed 123 — the lone batting masterpiece in a match where wickets tumbled at alarming speed. His counterattacking knock flipped the momentum entirely, guiding Australia from a precarious position to a commanding triumph in remarkably swift fashion.
England, who suffered a second successive collapse marked by loose early strokes from several senior batters, were left reeling. Captain Ben Stokes admitted he was “shell-shocked” by Head’s brilliance and how quickly the game slipped away, though he refused to blame his team’s aggressive batting philosophy despite another costly top-order failure.
With Australia striking the first blow in dramatic style, the Ashes series is already crackling with intensity — and England face urgent questions heading into the second Test.
